Beto W
- Research Program Mentor

MPhil at Oxford University

Expertise

Modern British History, Environmental History, American History, History of War, Sustainability

Bio

My name is Beto Wetter and I am a historian. I love studying history because by studying the past we can learn how to inform our decisions in the present to impact the future. I received my BA in History with Departmental Honors from Bowdoin College in 2019 and recently completed my MPhil in History from the University of Oxford in 2023. My specialism is in modern British history during and after the First World War through the lens of environmental history. With that said, I have additional experience in North American Environmental History, Modern European History, African History (e.g. South Africa), and United States History. From a "nuts and bolts" perspective, I have experience writing grant proposals for archival research, conducting archival research, writing historiography, and historical thinking. History is not just about memorizing facts and dates--which are helpful--but rather the interpretation of past events by cross-referencing often conflicting sources to study change over time and place. When I am not studying, reading, or writing history, I love hiking, swimming in Lake Tahoe, traveling around the world, and spending time with family and friends.

Project ideas

Project ideas are meant to help inspire student thinking about their own project. Students are in the driver seat of their research and are free to use any or none of the ideas shared by their mentors.

Studying North American Environmental History

What is the relationship between the built and natural environment over time and place? How is the legacy of the American West intertwined within industrialization, colonization, and modernization? By looking at primary and secondary sources, we can help unpack the complexities of historiographical debates of the American West. Possible student outcomes could be essays, journal articles, etc. Potential skills students could learn from this project: evaluating source material, historical thinking, primary and secondary source research, discovering the "personal" across a broad expanse of time and space.

Coding skills

N/A

Teaching experience

I approach pedagogy and mentorship by taking the best qualities from my own teachers and mentors. For instance, Dr. Adrian Gregory at the University of Oxford used open-ended questions to encourage students' critical thinking development. Similarly, Professor Page Herrlinger from Bowdoin College used assignments to help spark my love for primary source material and historical thinking.

Credentials

Work experience

County Attorney's Office (2022 - 2022)

Public Law Intern

BeyondTrucks (2022 - 2023)

Research Analyst Intern

Education

Bowdoin College

BA Bachelor of Arts (2019)

History (Honors)

Oxford University

MPhil Master of Philosophy

Modern British History

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Beto W - Research Program Mentor