Jeffrey P. Shepherd

Dr. Jeffrey P. Shepherd is a Professor of History at the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP), affiliated with the College of Liberal Arts. He holds a Ph.D. from Arizona State University and specializes in Indigenous histories of North America, particularly Apache/Nde’ and U.S.-Mexico borderlands. His research focuses on environmental history, biography, and the intersection of art/culture with border militarization.

Education:

• Ph.D. in American Indian History, Arizona State University (2002)
• MA in History, University of Oregon (1997)
• BA in History/Psychology, Florida State University (1994)

Research Interests:

• Indigenous sovereignty and resistance
• Environmental and borderlands histories
• Public commemoration of settler colonial violence (e.g., Washita Battlefield)
• Apache treaty negotiations and land dispossession

Recent Articles/Themes:

His work critiques colonial narratives in national parks, analyzes Indigenous contestations of border spaces, and examines the politics of historical memory. Recent projects include a biography of Mescalero Apache leader Wendell Chino and an analysis of the Apache Treaty of 1852.

Awards:

• American Historical Association Diversity Award (2016)
• UTEP Outstanding Advisor (2014)
• Pima County Public Library Book of the Year (2011)

Advising & Grants:

Chaired committees on topics like Indigenous-African relations in Florida and legal borderlands. Secured grants from the Mellon Foundation, National Park Service, and others. Directed UTEP’s History PhD program (2011–2019) and served as Department Chair (2019–2023).

Teaching & Engagement:

Teaches courses on U.S. history, Indigenous borderlands, and environmental history. Co-edits the Critical Issues in Indigenous Studies series (University of Arizona Press) and collaborates with the UTEP Borderlands History Conference.