Lissa Wadewitz

Lissa Wadewitz is the Beekman Professor of Northwest and Pacific History in the Department of History at the University of Oregon, part of the College of Arts and Sciences. Her work bridges U.S. West, Native American, and transnational environmental histories.

• BA in Asian Studies from Pomona College
• MA and PhD in U.S. History from UCLA

Her research examines intersections of borders, environment, and identity in the Pacific World. She previously taught at Linfield University for over a decade before joining UO.

Her award-winning first book, The Nature of Borders, analyzes how geopolitical, social, and ecological boundaries shaped salmon fishing practices in the Salish Sea. She is currently researching a second monograph centered on a Kingdom of Hawai’i Maritime Court case, exploring race, sexuality, and empire in 19th-century Pacific whaling.

• American Historical Association’s Albert B. Corey Prize
• Western History Association’s Hal K. Rothman Award
• North American Society for Oceanic History’s John Lyman Award

At UO, she teaches courses in Native American history, U.S. West history, and U.S. environmental history, and accepts MA and PhD students in these fields.