Patty Limerick

Patty Limerick is an Affiliate Professor of Environmental Studies and History at the University of Colorado Boulder, serving as Faculty Director and Chair of the Board of the Center of the American West. She concurrently holds the position of Colorado State Historian and serves on the National Council on the Humanities, appointed by President Obama and confirmed by the U.S. Senate in November 2015.

Her academic foundation includes:

• B.A. from the University of California, Santa Cruz
• Ph.D. from Yale University

Limerick's scholarly work centers on environmental history and the American West, with relentless focus on public engagement. She bridges academic rigor and public discourse through frequent speaking engagements and as a Denver Post columnist, applying historical perspectives to contemporary conflicts while championing humor as an essential humanities asset. Her research dismantles traditional frontier narratives to examine ecological, cultural, and social dynamics of Western expansion.

Her exceptional contributions have earned:

• MacArthur Fellowship ("Genius Grant")
• Hazel Barnes Prize (University of Colorado's highest teaching and research honor)

Through the Center of the American West, Limerick leads interdisciplinary initiatives connecting scholars, policymakers, and communities to address Western regional challenges. Her leadership extends to former presidencies of the Organization of American Historians, Western History Association, American Studies Association, and Society of American Historians, alongside serving as Vice President for Teaching of the American Historical Association.