Jessica Nelson

Dr. Jessica Nelson is Assistant Visiting Professor of History at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, specializing in public history, Indigenous studies, and religion in the Americas. Her research examines cross-cultural encounters in colonial contexts with emphasis on gender and Indigenous agency.

Research focuses:

• Public history methodologies
• Indigenous religious communities
• Gender in borderlands history
• Mexican colonial history

Publications explore Indigenous nuns in colonial Mexico, Christian Indian communities, and religion in the American West. Her edited volume analyzes intersections of religion, violence, and resilience in western expansion.

Teaching includes public history, Mexican history, and community-engaged courses. She mentors students in historical interpretation and public-facing scholarship.