Diana K. Davis

Diana K. Davis is a Professor in the History Department and Chair of the Geography Graduate Group at the University of California, Davis. She holds a Ph.D. in Geography from UC Berkeley and a DVM from Tufts University School of Veterinary Medicine, uniquely combining veterinary expertise with geographical scholarship. Her research focuses on political ecology, environmental history, and arid land studies, with emphasis on colonialism’s impact on Middle Eastern and North African environments. Davis explores themes like desertification myths, colonial forestry policies, and the intersection of veterinary medicine with ecological systems.

Her work bridges historical analysis and contemporary environmental challenges, addressing issues such as decolonial environmentalism, pastoral societies, and medical geography in arid regions. Notable publications include The Arid Lands: History, Power, Knowledge (2016) and Resurrecting the Granary of Rome (2007), which earned the Marsh Prize and Blaut Award. She has received prestigious fellowships including the Guggenheim and Ryskamp awards. Davis teaches courses on global environmental history, medical histories, and geographies of health. Her research and advocacy highlight the urgent need to re-examine colonial-era environmental narratives and their legacies in contemporary ecological governance.