John Wing

Dr. John Wing is an Associate Professor at the City University of New York's College of Staten Island, specializing in environmental history and the history of early modern Spain (1500-1800). He teaches courses on Spain and its empire, Early Modern Europe, the Atlantic World, and Environmental History.

• PhD in History from University of Minnesota
• MA in Geography from Rutgers University
• BA in History from The College of New Jersey

His research focuses on the intersection between ecological systems and imperial expansion, particularly examining how forest exploitation shaped state power in the Spanish monarchy. Using archival materials from Madrid, Seville, Santander, and the Basque Country, he explores long-term strategies of forest management developed to sustain Spain's ocean fleets.

Recent publications analyze:

• Shipbuilding timber logistics (1737-1739)
• 16th-century state forestry for imperial defense
• Historical GIS disciplinary frameworks

As a scholar of early modern Spain, he contributes to understanding geographic knowledge creation, state-local dynamics, and material challenges in European state-building.