The University of Delaware-Hagley Fellows invites scholars to join us in a conversation about how disasters have shaped societies, cultures and environments since 1700. What makes a disaster a disaster? Who decides? How have they been interpreted? What are the consequences of disasters? What can historians gain by studying disasters? We particularly encourage proposals for papers that explore how disasters can inform the histories of business, technology, consumption, the environment, work, and everyday life.

We welcome proposals by both graduate students and established scholars. Financial assistance for travel will be provided to all conference presenters.

Please email a 300-word abstract and a one-page CV to the Hagley Fellows at hagley.fellows@gmail.com by December 31, 2010. For more information: www.udel.edu/hagley.