Shannon Stunden Bower is a Professor in the Department of History, Classics, and Religion at the University of Alberta. Her research focuses on environmental history, particularly in northern North America with an emphasis on Canada’s Prairies and northern Great Plains. She examines water management, agricultural industrialization, and government institutions, with recent work on post-1945 irrigation projects in Saskatchewan and Alberta. Bower is actively involved in academic leadership, serving on the executive and editorial collective of the Network in Canadian History and Environment (NiCHE) and as an associate editor for Prairie History . She co-curated the Climate and Change website, integrating digital tools to explore 1930s drought history. Teaching responsibilities include courses such as HIST 260 (Pre-Confederation Canada) and graduate methodology seminars. Her courses emphasize historiography and research methodologies for honors students. Her research spans topics like irrigation infrastructure in Ghana, GIS technologies in mid-20th century Canada, and urban environmental activism in Edmonton. Bower’s work bridges historical analysis with contemporary environmental challenges, emphasizing interdisciplinary approaches. Recent publications address gendered knowledge in agricultural rehabilitation and the socio-ecological impacts of water management policies. She collaborates widely, contributing to scholarly debates on rural economies, environmental justice, and development policies. Bower advises students on Canadian and environmental history topics, particularly those related to the Prairie West. Her grants and fellowships support projects analyzing the intersections of environment, technology, and governance. She maintains active participation in academic networks, ensuring her research informs both scholarly discourse and public understanding of environmental history.
