Dr Madeline White

I am a historian of science, environment, and empire, and Visiting Assistant Professor in Environmental Policy and Culture at Northwestern University. My research explores the ties of early modern science to the British empire, and the capacity of natural science collections to enhance these histories.

I continue to lead Oxford's BLOOM project, an interdisciplinary collaboration between the Faculty of History, Biology Department, Digital Scholarship@Oxford, and the Oxford Botanic Garden and Arboretum. BLOOM uses the Du Bois Herbarium as case study to demonstrate the potential of biological collections to ground historical research, develop digital approaches for collections-management in the natural sciences, and promote science-led education.

I received my 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).

Research Interests

• History of science and medicine
• Global and imperial history
• Herbaria and botanical collections
• Early modern Britain

I am currently developing the monograph 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 races, genders, and geographies.

You can reach me by email (madeline.white@northwestern.edu) or follow me on Twitter @MadelineEWhite or BlueSky @madelinewhite.bsky.social