History Professor William Cronon was named president of the American Historical Association Friday.
Cronon, the Frederick Jackson Turner and Vilas Research Professor of History, studies American environmental history and the history of the American West. His research focuses on how people modify landscapes, dependence on nature to create materials and how perceptions about nature impact the environment.
Cronon, among other scholars, helped create environmental history studies, according to a statement. He is the first environmental historian to be elected president of the AHA.
Cronon has been a professor at UW-Madison since 1992 and received his Bachelor of the Arts from UW-Madison in 1976. He is a member of UW-Madison's Center for Culture, History and Environment.
Cronon will serve as president-elect on the AHA Council in January 2011 and begin his one year term as president in 2012.
The AHA is a nonprofit professional group that encourages historical studies and preservation of historical objects.
Cronon will continue to serve as a history professor at UW-Madison.
