Jared Farmer

Jared Farmer is the Walter H. Annenberg Professor of History and Department Chair at the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Arts & Sciences. His work bridges environmental history, landscape studies, and the history of the American West, with a focus on the long 19th century. He leads the digital history project "Petrosylvania" and collaborates with the Initiative in the History of the Built Environment at the Weitzman School of Design.

Farmer earned his Ph.D. from Stanford University, followed by M.A. and B.A. degrees from the University of Montana and Utah State University. His research explores the intersection of human activity and natural landscapes, including studies of ancient trees, petrochemical corridors, and Indigenous environmental practices.

His major works include *On Zion’s Mount* (2008), *Trees in Paradise* (2013), and *Elderflora* (2022), which won the Jacques Barzun Prize. He has held fellowships from ACLS, the National Humanities Center, and the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. Current projects include *Aerial Views* (histories of aerial observation) and *The Everlasting Stone Age* (cultural history of rocks).

Farmer’s teaching spans American West history, climate history, and digital humanities. He advises the collaborative "America’s First Petrochemical Corridor" digital project, launching in 2025, and maintains public-facing digital archives on Mormonism and Philadelphia’s energy history.