Scott Hess

Scott Hess is a Professor of English at Earlham College, where he teaches in both the Departments of English and Environmental Sustainability. His research focuses on the environmental humanities, 18th- and 19th-century British and American literature, and intersections between race, ecology, and posthumanism. He holds a Ph.D. from Harvard University and a B.A. from Swarthmore College.

Key research projects include his upcoming book, Landscapes of Genius: Author, Nature, Nation and the Transatlantic Origins of Environmentalism, which examines how 19th-century authors shaped environmental thought. Hess is actively involved with the Association for the Study of Literature and Environment (ASLE), serving on its Executive Council. He also delivers public talks on climate change and culture, such as his Indiana Humanities presentation on climate change narratives.

• Education: Ph.D., Harvard University; B.A., Swarthmore College
• Professional Memberships: ASLE, John Clare Society, NASSR, Thoreau Society

His teaching emphasizes critical engagement with environmental justice, race, and ecological ethics. Courses include American Literature and Ecology, Imagining Climate Change, and Race, Ethnicity, and Nature in American Literature. Hess’s work bridges historical literary analysis with contemporary environmental challenges, advocating for a communal and interdisciplinary approach to education.