Meet the Mellon Fellows: Dr. Frank Schmitz

Dr. Frank Schmitz

Florida State University
PhD, Geography

Host Site: Midwest Region Rivers Program
Fellowship Title: Ripple Effect: The American River Experience
Project Description: America’s riverways have had a profound impact on the nation’s history and people, representing a diversity of experiences beyond the common narrative of exploration and western expansion. Dr. Schmitz will help connect the public to a more complete story about rivers and people by exploring their complex and multi-cultural significance in America’s past, present, and into the future.

Bio:

Dr. Frank Schmitz earned a PhD in Geography from Florida State University in 2021. His dissertation explored contemporary water conflicts in the Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint River Basin through a historical lens. Dr. Schmitz’s other research interests include environmental history, science and technology studies, and political ecology. He enjoys basketball, frisbee, drawing, and floating down rivers.

Tell us about your research interests!

I am broadly interested in exploring the historical legacies that continue to shape contemporary river basin management.

What are you most excited about as you begin your fellowship?

I am excited to begin learning about the diverse array of experiences and stories connected to Midwestern rivers that have yet to be commonly shared.

Mellon Humanities Postdoctoral Fellowship Program

This project was made possible through the National Park Service by a grant from the National Park Foundation through generous support from the Mellon Foundation. The Mellon Humanities Postdoctoral Fellowship program is administered through a partnership between NPS, NPF, and American Conservation Experience.