Profile

A native of Sparta, New Jersey, Dr. Wolters holds degrees from Notre Dame, the University of Maryland, MIT, and the U.S. Navy's nuclear engineering program. He came to USU in Fall 2004 after a stint at the Smithsonian Institution’s National Air & Space Museum, where he held the prestigious Ramsey Chair in Naval Aviation History. He teaches six different courses at USU, including the second half of the U.S. history survey course (HIST 2710), “Science & Technology in World History” (HIST 3900 (DSC)), and “History of Aviation & Aeronautics” (HIST 4400 (DHA)). He also teaches a class entitled “The Structure of Engineering Revolutions” (HIST 4830 (DHA)), in which students use an interdisciplinary approach to examine engineering practice. Past projects have included histories of Old Main, Aggie ice cream, and Utah State’s involvement in the space shuttle program.

Dr. Wolters specializes in the history of American technology, focusing on the period between the Civil War and World War II. He has received research fellowships from a variety of organizations, including the Dibner Institute, the Naval Historical Center, the National Science Foundation, the IEEE, and Utah State University. He is currently finishing a book on the history of command and control technology in the United States Navy, tentatively entitled Managing a Sea of Information: Shipboard Command and Control in the U.S. Navy, 1865-1945. His most recent scholarly publication, “Electric Torpedoes in the Confederacy: Reconciling Conflicting Histories” (Journal of Military History, July 2008), won the 2009 Eller Prize for the best article in naval history published during the previous year.