WHA Governance

The Western History Association membership elects the primary governing body of the organization, which consists of the President, President-Elect, Executive Director, and seven regularly elected members to serve on the Council. Together, and with the assistance of the Nominating Committee and other committees, these elected officials oversee the broad interests of the association by managing business and creating policies that promote a congenial home for all those interested in the study of the North American West. 


WHA Constitution and Bylaws

To learn more about the rules governing the WHA and its affairs, read the organization's Constitution and ByLaws.

WHA Council

Philip J. Deloria, Harvard University (2023)

Rachel St. John, University of California, Davis (2023)

Benny Andrés, University of North Carolina at Charlotte (2024)

Rosalyn LaPier, University of Montana (2024)

Liza Black, Indiana University (2025)

Erik Loomis, University of Rhode Island (2025)

Lori Lahlum, Minnesota State University, Mankato (2025)

Elaine M. Nelson, University of Kansas

Brianna Tafolla Rivière, University of California, Davis (2024)

William Deverell, University of Southern California (2025)

Kelly Lytle Hernández, University of California, Los Angeles (2026)


Non-Voting Members:

Susan Lee Johnson, University of Nevada, Las Vegas (2024)

Maria E. Montoya, NYU and NYU-Shanghai (2023)

Anne M. Hyde, Western Historical Quarterly (ex officio)

Lynn Roper, Lincoln, NE (WHA Treasurer)

WHA Executive Committee


William Deverell

WHA President (2023)

University of Southern California

Kelly Lytle Hernández
WHA President-Elect
University of California, Los Angeles


Elaine M. Nelson

WHA Executive Director

University of Kansas

WHA Nominating Committee

Katrina Phillips, Chair

Macalester College (2023)


Miroslava Chávez-García
University of California-Santa Barbara (2023)


Rebecca Wingo

University of Cincinnati (2024)


Karl Jacoby

Columbia University (2024)


Maritza De La Trinidad

University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (2024)

Professional Environment Committee

The Western History Association Policy on Sexual Harassment and Sexual Misconduct and the Enforcement Clause for Policy on Sexual Harassment and Sexual Misconduct is available through this link.


The policay states: The WHA Council will designate a Professional Environment Committee (PEC), which will receive reports and complaints from anyone who participates in a WHA activity and who has experienced or witnessed violations of this policy. To avoid potential conflicts of interest, any member of the Executive Committee (WHA President, President-Elect, or Executive Director), or PEC member receiving complaints and providing advice will not carry out warning or enforcement measures against the accused person.


The WHA Council created the Professional Environment Committee in Fall 2021. The current committee (see members below) are currently working on ways to create a more efficient process for people to make reports or complaints. Please contact them if you have questions. 


Professional Environment Committee Members, 2022:

Dee Garcea, Chair (rivergirl300@gmail.com)

Steven Hackel (steven.hackel@ucr.edu)

Ashley Riley Sousa (Ashley.RileySousa@mtsu.edu)

Proposals to the WHA Council

Do you have ideas to improve or enhance the WHA? We want to hear from you! WHA members who are in current standing can make proposals to the WHA by filling out the document on this membership page (you must be loggged into MyWHA to access the page). Please contact the WHA office with your questions: wha@westernhistory.org

The WHA is located in the Department of History at the University of Kansas.

The WHA is grateful to KU's History Department and the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences for their generous support!


Western History Association

University of Kansas | History Department

1445 Jayhawk Blvd. | 3650 Wescoe Hall

Lawrence, KS 66045 | 785-864-0860

wha@westernhistory.org