Cindy Ott

Cindy Ott is an Associate Professor of History and Material Culture at the University of Delaware, affiliated with the College of Arts & Sciences. She serves as Director of Graduate Studies. Her work bridges American food history, environmental humanities, and Indigenous studies, with a focus on material culture and public engagement. Her 2012 book Pumpkin: The Curious History of an American Icon examines cultural and environmental symbolism. Her current project, Biscuits and Buffaloes, explores Northern Plains Indigenous communities’ adaptation to modernity. Ott co-edits the Environmental History journal’s graphics section and develops the Crow Indian Virtual Archive and Museum. She has held fellowships from the Fulbright Commission, Smithsonian Institution, and NEH.

• Research Highlights: Public humanities projects at the Smithsonian, Museum of the Rockies, and National Park Service.
• Leadership: Former president of the Rachel Carson Center Society of Fellows (2015–2019) and member of the American Society for Environmental History executive committee.

Teaching emphasizes food sovereignty, environmental justice, and museum studies. Courses include American Environmental History and Theory & Practice of Material Culture Studies. She advises graduate students on topics like environmental justice, labor history, and public art.