William Balée

William Balée is a Professor of Anthropology at Tulane University, affiliated with the School of Liberal Arts and the Stone Center for Latin American Studies. He holds core faculty status and has been a prominent scholar in historical ecology, ethnobotany, and Amazonian studies since joining Tulane in 1991. His research focuses on the cultural and environmental histories of Amazonian indigenous peoples, particularly the Waorani and Ka’apor, emphasizing anthropogenic landscapes and traditional ecological knowledge.

Education:

• Ph.D. in Anthropology, Columbia University (1984)
• M.Phil. and M.A. in Anthropology, Columbia University (1980, 1979)
• B.A. in Anthropology, University of Florida (1975)

Research interests include historical ecology, ethnoecology, archaeology, and the intersection of culture and environment in Amazonia. He has pioneered interdisciplinary approaches to understanding long-term human-environment interactions, notably through studies of anthropogenic forests and pre-Columbian land use. His work has been supported by grants from the National Geographic Society, Wenner-Gren Foundation, and others.

Awards and recognition include the Guggenheim Fellowship (2019), Mary W. Klinger Book Award, and Officer of the Order of the Golden Ark (1993). He has advised ten doctoral students and authored influential textbooks like Inside Cultures.

Professional service includes editorships of Journal of Ethnobiology and co-founding the Society for the Anthropology of Lowland South America (SALSA). He has held leadership roles at Tulane, including Chair of Anthropology (1998-2001) and Director of the Environmental Studies Program (2007-2010).

Fieldwork and collaborations span Brazil, Ecuador, Malaysia, and Bolivia, focusing on indigenous forest management, climate change impacts, and cultural sustainability.