Owain Lawson

Owain Lawson is an Assistant Professor of Environmental History at Lehigh University's History Department within the College of Arts and Sciences. Originally from Ottawa, Canada, he holds a PhD in History from Columbia University and serves as Co-Editor of Arab Studies Journal and the Jadaliyya environment page.

• PhD, History, Columbia University
• MA & MPhil, History, Columbia University
• MA, Middle East Studies, The American University in Cairo
• BA, English, Concordia University (Montréal)

Lawson specializes in environmental history, political ecology, and social movements in the modern Middle East, with particular focus on Lebanon's Litani River basin. His research examines how historical transformations in the built and natural environment inform contemporary climate challenges, exploring concepts of sovereignty, resource distribution, and environmental justice in postcolonial contexts. He investigates the intersection of environment, technology, and climate crisis through transnational historical frameworks.

His publications reveal consistent focus on Lebanon's environmental history, water infrastructure, and political economy, with recent work analyzing ecological degradation, refugee displacement, and state responses to environmental crises. The articles demonstrate interdisciplinary methodology combining environmental history with political ecology, development studies, and postcolonial theory.

• Martha Trescott Prize, Society for the History of Technology (2023)
• Social Science Research Council Fellowship
• Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada Fellowship
• Max Weber Stiftung Fellowship
• Doris G. Quinn Foundation Fellowship
• Columbia's Institute for Religion, Culture, and Public Life Fellowship

Lawson has secured significant research funding from major institutions and maintains active engagement with academic communities through editorial work and collaborative projects. He teaches diverse courses on Middle Eastern history, environmental history, and incarceration studies, including specialized instruction through Cornell and Columbia University's Prison Education Programs. His scholarly approach emphasizes connecting historical analysis with contemporary environmental justice concerns.