APPLICANTS SOUGHT FOR EDITOR OF ENVIRONMENTAL HISTORY

Review of applications to begin on January 15, 2026.

The American Society for Environmental History and the Forest History Society seek applicants to serve as Editor(s) and a new institutional home for the journal Environmental History for a five-year term beginning July 2026 with a possibility of extension. The successful applicant will serve as Editor(s)-elect for a transition period of 6 to 12 months.

Environmental History (EH) is the journal of record in the field of environmental history with readership and authors from around the world, and is published in cooperation with the University of Chicago Press. The journal addresses issues relating to human interactions with the natural world over time, and includes insights from history, geography, anthropology, the natural sciences, and many other disciplines. In addition to refereed articles, reviews, and a “Gallery” section dedicated to visual materials, it offers a growing range of online resources, which the incoming editor(s) will continue to develop. The position carries a modest stipend, and financial support for travel and other expenses is available. While an individual may serve as sole editor of the journal, the search committee also welcomes applications by more than one editor. In the latter case, the application should state how applicants will share responsibilities. It is expected that in the case of joint editors, both would be affiliated with the same institution.

Qualifications:

• Recognized expertise in the field;

• A compelling vision for the future of the journal and the field;

• Institutional support for the duration of appointment, including release time and clerical assistance as necessary;

• Managerial, organizational, editorial, and electronic skills to oversee the editorial cycle, meet deadlines, and work with publishing professionals;

• The ability to attract established and new scholars to publish in the journal;

• Tact and professionalism in communicating with authors, staff, and readers;

• Membership in ASEH and FHS (upon investiture as editor(s)).

Major responsibilities: In general, editors are responsible for the intellectual content, quality, and timeliness of the journal issues as well as the overall success of the journal. Specific duties may include but are not limited to:

• Providing clear direction for the journal and website;

• Conveying significant developments in the fields of both environmental and forest history;

• Soliciting high-quality manuscripts from a diverse pool of potential authors;

• Selecting a sufficient pool of competent peer-reviewers and managing the peer review process of approximately 100 manuscripts per year through an online system;

• Deciding which manuscripts to publish;

• Assisting authors in seeing their manuscripts through the publication process, including providing formative feedback to authors whose work is not accepted;

• Working with a Book Review Editor, Digital Content Editor, Gallery Editor, FHS Staff responsible for the New Scholarship section, and the University of Chicago Press to ensure timely publication;

• Attending annual meetings of both the ASEH and FHS;

• Appointing and working with a diverse and active Editorial Board to provide advice and counsel;

• Working with a Journal Management Group that represents both ASEH and FHS once per year at the annual ASEH meeting and as needed;

• Representing the journal in outside venues and conferences.

Application Materials: The application package should be no more than 5 pages (not including the CV and statements of support) and include:

• Cover Letter: Including name, affiliation, and other relevant information, and providing particular evidence pertinent to the position;

• CV: Highlighting publications and any editorial experience;

• Vision Statement: Describing challenges and opportunities, future plans for the journal, continued development of online presence, an administrative plan for editing processes, and objective milestones for evaluation;

• Description of Institutional Resources: While the University of Chicago Press provides some financial support for the editor(s), applicants also must address the feasibility of serving as editor(s) in light of the institutional resources likely to be available:

• Examples include graduate assistant support, travel or administrative funding, course releases, or other workload reductions. 

• Preliminary statements of institutional support from the applicant’s Chair and/or Dean are requested.

Search procedure: The search committee encourages potential editors and institutional homes to contact the chair of the search committee as soon as possible about their interest in the Environmental History journal so that the committee can assist in providing information about the journal and in helping them craft formal proposals. For more information, please contact the Chair of the Search Committee, Lisa Brady, Boise State University, at: lisabrady@boisestate.edu.

Review of applications will begin on January 15, 2026. The search committee may contact candidates for an initial round of Zoom interviews in February and March of 2026. In-person interviews of finalists will take place at the ASEH meeting in Kansas City, MO, March 25-28, 2026 (Zoom interviews may be scheduled if necessary). Applications must be submitted as a single PDF file with the file name “yourlastname_EHeditor.pdf” to this Dropbox link.

Feature Image: “104 Heritage Parkscape” by The City Project is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0.