Colin Hoag

Colin Hoag is an Associate Professor of Anthropology and Department Chair at Smith College. His work bridges cultural anthropology and biological sciences, focusing on the interplay between human societies and ecological systems in the Anthropocene.

• Ph.D. in Cultural Anthropology and Biological Sciences (Aarhus University)
• Ph.D., M.A. in Cultural Anthropology (University of California at Santa Cruz)
• M.A., B.A. Hons. (University of the Witwatersrand)
• B.A. (Michigan State University)

His research spans two primary domains:

• Botanical Morphology & Phylogeography: Taxonomic revision of Hymenoxys (Compositae) and population genetics of Hecastocleis shockleyi in North America.
• Anthropocene Political Ecology: Critically analyzing water commodification in Lesotho, rangeland degradation, and the role of botanical conservatories in shaping modern conceptions of nature.

In 2022, he published the open-access book The Fluvial Imagination: On Lesotho’s Water-Export Economy (University of California Press), funded by Wenner-Gren Foundation, ACLS, and NEH.

Recent publications (2024–2023) address:

• Botanical symbolism in Sylvia Plath’s work
• Legacies of Foucault in environmental governance
• Shrub encroachment dynamics in Lesotho

Current projects examine:

• Phylogenetic relationships in the Daisy Family
• Botanical conservatories as sites of multispecies encounter
• Environmental impacts of water export economies

Scientific awards include grants from:

• Wenner-Gren Foundation
• American Council of Learned Societies
• National Endowment for the Humanities