Jim Feldman

Jim Feldman serves as Professor of Environmental Studies & History and Director of the Environmental Studies Program at the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh, where his work bridges historical scholarship with contemporary sustainability challenges through interdisciplinary teaching and research.

His research focuses on American and global environmental history, wilderness studies, nuclear waste policy, and sustainability. Feldman explores the cultural dimensions of wilderness in works like A Storied Wilderness: Rewilding the Apostle Islands (2013) and examines nuclear energy's societal impacts in Nuclear Reactions (2016), consistently connecting historical analysis to modern policy dilemmas regarding radioactive waste disposal and environmental justice.

Recent publications reveal a trajectory emphasizing environmental justice in nuclear waste storage (particularly at Prairie Island) and border ecologies, while his NSF-funded EMBAST project investigates Harmful Algal Blooms in the Lake Winnebago system through interdisciplinary social-ecological research addressing community sustainability perceptions.

Scientific awards: No major awards, fellowships, or medals were documented in available sources.

Feldman leads the NSF-funded EMBAST research team studying Harmful Algal Blooms and advises students through Environmental Studies courses including the Senior Seminar. His grant activity centers on collaborative, community-engaged projects addressing complex environmental problems with practical policy applications.

The EMBAST interdisciplinary team exemplifies Feldman's collaborative approach, integrating ecological and social science perspectives to develop innovative solutions for Harmful Algal Blooms in Wisconsin's Lake Winnebago watershed while examining how these environmental changes reshape regional identity and sustainability practices.