Frank Van Nuys

Brief Bio

I was born in Rapid City, South Dakota, but grew up in Wilmington, Ohio. I graduated from South Dakota State University in 1984, then received a M.A. in history from California State University, Chico, in 1993, followed by a Ph.D. from the University of Wyoming in 1997. Prior to coming to SDSM&T in 2002, I taught for a couple of years at Northern Michigan University. I enjoy the occasional outdoor activity, primarily hiking and kayaking, playing pickleball, music, movies, TV shows, and enduring season after season of Cincinnati Reds baseball. My wife, Janet, is a realtor and jewelry maker. Our daughter, Maya, is a Ph.D candidate at the University of Chicago.

Research Expertise

My most recent book, Varmints and Victims: Predator Control in the American West, was published by the University Press of Kansas in 2015. The same press published my first book, Americanizing the West: Race, Immigrants, and Citizenship, 1880-1920, in 2002. My next publication will be a chapter on Governor and Senator Peter Norbeck and the politics of conservation in South Dakota, coming out in 2023 as part of a collection being published by the Center for Western Studies at Augustana University. I have also published on Americanization, immigrant politics in South Dakota, and mountain lions and sport hunting.

Teaching

I have taught the survey courses on Western Civilization and US History at SDSM&T since 2002. In addition, I teach upper-level courses on Westward Expansion, Environmental History of the US, and Environmental Law and Policy.