Josh Kercsmar received a B.A. in Theology from Wheaton College (IL) in 1998, an M.Div. from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary in 2006, a Th.M. in American Religious History from Harvard Divinity School in 2007, and a Ph.D. in U.S. History from the University of Notre Dame in 2014. After spending two years as a Lilly Postdoctoral Fellow at Valparaiso University, he served from 2016 – 2024 on the faculty at Unity College (now Unity Environmental University), where he was promoted to Associate Professor in 2020.
Kercsmar’s research explores the intertwining histories of slavery, capitalism, and animal husbandry in early America. It has received generous funding from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, American Philosophical Society, Animals and Society Institute, and other organizations. His teaching and writing focus on how American societies have thought about and acted toward nature in the past, why that has changed over time, and how issues of environmental justice have long been part of the fabric of American life.
In 2023, Kercsmar co-founded Preserve Rural Maine (PRM), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that aims to give socioeconomically disadvantaged rural communities a voice in discussions around industrial-scale development of forests and farmland.
Extending from this work, he launched a freelance grantwriting business in 2024. His aim is to help nonprofits and businesses tell data-driven stories that resonate with funders and inspire positive change.
In keeping with Wendell Berry’s advice to be grounded in one’s own community, Kercsmar serves on the boards of two local nonprofits: Unity Barn Raisers, which is invested in fostering a robust regional economy; and the Ecology Learning Center, a charter high school that aims to develop compassionate and resilient leaders through immersive learning experiences. As a facilitator with the Maine Humanities Council, he leads discussions on book series that have taken him to numerous town libraries and the veteran’s block of a local prison.
In his spare time, Kercsmar enjoys reading, spending time with family, and exploring the Maine landscape.
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