Dean, Social Sciences Division

History professor Jon Gjerde is a leading scholar of American history, with a special interest in the Midwest during the 19th and 20th centuries. He is the author of five books, including "The Minds of the West: The Ethnocultural Evolution of the Rural Middle West, 1830-1917,” which has won numerous awards. 

Gjerde received his Ph.D. and M.A. in history from the University of Minnesota and his B.A. in history and philosophy and religion from the University of Northern Iowa.