Kyle Harper

Kyle Harper is a Professor of Classics and Letters and the G.T. and Libby Blankenship Chair in the History of Liberty at the University of Oklahoma. He serves as Senior Advisor to the President and is Provost Emeritus at his alma mater. Harper’s research bridges the natural sciences and historical analysis, focusing on the interplay between climate, disease, and human societies. His work examines how pandemics like the Justinianic Plague and environmental shifts shaped the Roman Empire’s decline, as well as broader themes in human ecological impact and biodiversity loss. He has authored four influential books, including The Fate of Rome and Plagues upon the Earth, which integrate historical, climatological, and biological perspectives. Harper’s accolades include Guggenheim and Andrew Carnegie Fellowships, and his research often involves interdisciplinary collaborations, such as tracing ancient marble provenance through geochemistry. Current projects include The Last Animal, a global history of human-animal interactions and their environmental consequences.

Research Interests:

• Historical epidemiology and pandemic dynamics
• Climate change impacts on ancient societies
• Human ecological transformation and biodiversity
• Late Antiquity and Roman social history
• Interdisciplinary methods in historical research

Awards and Honors:

• Guggenheim Fellowship (2025)
• Andrew Carnegie Fellowship (2020)
• James Henry Breasted Prize (2011)
• PROSE Award in History of Science (2021)

Recent Work: Harper’s 2025 paper on the origins of the Justinianic Plague reinterprets its spread via the Hephthalite Empire, while his forthcoming book The Last Animal addresses anthropogenic biodiversity loss. He also collaborates on projects like the Nazareth Inscription’s marble provenance analysis, demonstrating the utility of geochemistry in historical research.