DEPARTMENT OF HISTORY

Interests

Geographic Field(s):  Global History; Medieval and Early Modern European History; Modern European History: Britain and Its Empire

Thematic Field(s):  Colonial, Imperial, & Diasporic History; Environmental History; History of Science, Technology, and Medicine

Principal Research Interest(s):  Early modern Britain; History of science; Environmental history; Global history; History of empire; Material culture and collections

Biography

Madeline White is a historian of science, environment, and empire. Her research explores the ties of early modern science to the British empire, and the capacity of natural science collections to enhance these histories. She is currently developing the book project Growing Empire, which explores early British efforts to understand unknown environments through collection, cultivation, and classification. This project uses herbarium specimens, dried plant fragments now over four centuries old, to frame historical research, and will showcase how early modern botany was conducted in collaboration with the knowledge of people across the British Empire.

Prior to arriving at Northwestern, White served as a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Oxford, where she spearheaded the BLOOM project. This interdisciplinary project uses the Du Bois Herbarium as case study to demonstrates the potential of biological collections to ground historical research, develop digital approaches for collections-management in the natural sciences, and promote science-led education.

White received her DPhil in 2024 in the History of Science and Medicine from the University of Oxford (Lincoln College), as well as an MPhil in the History of Science, Medicine, and Technology (St Hugh's College, Oxford) and a BA in History and Physics (University of Southern California).

Affiliated programs

• Environmental Policy and Culture
• Science and Human Culture

Articles

White, M.E. and Harris, S.A., ‘Looking backward to move forward: Enhancing metadata in scientific collections through interdisciplinary analysis’, Plants, People, Planet, Early view (2026), pp. 1-15. https://doi.org/10.1002/ppp3.70200

Teaching Interests

White teaches at the intersection of science, empire, and the environment.  At Northwestern, her courses have ranged from the scientific revolution (Knowing Nature) to scientific racism (Eugenic Ecologies). She is especially interested exploring history through a heritage lens, and her classes regularly include trips to Field Museum, McCormick Special Collections, and the herbarium at the Chicago Botanic Garden to provide students with hands-on experience with archival material. Her courses regularly combine environmental and scientific histories with contemporary conversations, and often feature guest speakers from national policy centers and local sustainability groups (Inventing the Earth).

Awards and Honors

• 2025: Stacy Lloyd Fellow, Oak Spring Garden Foundation
• 2024: Ritchie & Dibner Short-term Fellow in the History of Science and Technology, Huntington Library