Stephen J. Hornsby

Stephen J. Hornsby is a Professor of Geography and Canadian Studies at the University of Maine, and former director of the Canadian-American Center and Title VI National Resource Center on Canada (1994-2021). He holds a Ph.D. from the University of British Columbia (1986) and an M.A. (Honours) from the University of St. Andrews (1979). His research focuses on historical geography, historical cartography, and the expansion of Europe overseas, with particular emphasis on Eastern Canada, the northeastern United States, and 20th-century American cartography. His notable works include Surveyors of Empire, Historical Atlas of Maine, and Picturing America: The Golden Age of American Pictorial Maps.

Dr. Hornsby has received numerous accolades, including the Governor General’s International Award for Canadian Studies (2025), the Donner Medal (2023), and the John Brinckerhoff Jackson Prize (2018). His research often intersects with the interplay between science, imperialism, and cultural landscapes. His current projects include Cod Coasts: Cultural Landscapes of the Cod Fishery from Cape Cod to Labrador and studies on 20th-century American popular cartography.

He is affiliated with the Canadian-American Center, located at 154 College Avenue, Orono, ME, and can be reached at hornsby@maine.edu.