The 2025 Great Lakes History Conference:
"Climate, Environment, Psyche, & History"
Photo Credit: E Wójcik-Leese
Welcome!
The Great Lakes History Conference was established in 1975 as a means to allow faculty from educational institutions in the Midwest to present their research to colleagues and to cultivate interdisciplinary work. The conference has since evolved and now bridges the divide between universities and the general public by attracting educators, graduate students, public historians and independent scholars from across the world. Featuring a mix of scholarly panels, roundtable discussions, presentations by graduate and undergraduate students, and keynote lectures, the conference combines both local and globally scaled research, all taking place in the heart of downtown Grand Rapids.
This year's conference, "Climate, Environment, Psyche, & History", brings together experts from many fields to explore how people and societies experience and respond to both natural and human-made disasters. It focuses on the often-overlooked emotional, cultural, and psychological impacts of environmental trauma, such as those caused by climate change, pandemics, pollution, and war. By encouraging dialogue between scholars of past and present disasters, the event aims to deepen our understanding of how humans perceive, react to, and reshape their environments in times of crisis.
The 2025 Conference Includes:
10
Visiting Panelists
Representing 5 Countries
4
Thought-Provoking Panel Topics
Comprised of 11 Unique Sub-Topics
3
Ways to Get Involved
Including: Panel Discussions, a Latin American History Workshop, & Undergrad Student Panel
Our Host with the Most
Playing host to the Conference, Grand Valley's Richard M. DeVos Center is the heart of the Robert C. Pew City Campus. Officially opening in 2000, the building houses the College of Community and Public Service, College of Education, Office of Graduate Studies, Hauenstein Center for Presidential Studies, Autism Education Center, dining options, University Book Store, and the Steelcase Library!
Grand Valley's City Campus resides on the west side of the Grand River that cuts through the greater Grand Rapids metro, directly across from the vibrant downtown area. Connected via multiple pedestrian and car bridges, you will be able to seamlessly navigate between hotel accommodations and the Conference venue, all while enjoying beautiful views of the river and city skyline.
