Peter Lavelle

Peter Lavelle is an Associate Professor in the Department of History at the University of Connecticut. His research focuses on Chinese history during the long nineteenth century, particularly intersections of environmental history, agricultural science, and colonialism.

• Ph.D., Cornell University
• B.A., Grinnell College

His current research explores Chinese agricultural science and development in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, supported by grants from the Henry Luce Foundation/American Council of Learned Societies and the Fulbright Program. Key themes include:

• Environmental history
• Technological innovation
• Rural mechanization
• Colonial resource management

Selected publications examine topics such as agricultural crisis management in Late Qing China, the role of experiment stations in development, and transnational scientific influences in early twentieth-century Chinese agriculture.

Scientific awards and grants include:

• Henry Luce Foundation funding
• Fulbright Program support

Contact: peter.lavelle@uconn.edu