ECU’s Harriot College names Dr. Nathan Richards to distinguished professorship
East Carolina University’s Thomas Harriot College of Arts and Sciences has named Dr. Nathan Richards, professor in the Department of History and the Program in Maritime Studies, to the prestigious rank of distinguished professor. Richards is the college’s 26th distinguished professor. The announcement was made at the 62nd annual college convocation on Aug. 22.
Dr. Nathan Richards, professor in the Department of History and the Program in Maritime Studies, has been appointed to the prestigious rank of Harriot College distinguished professor. (Photo by Rhett Butler)
“Having the recommendation of my colleagues in the Department of History honestly made me feel like I’d won an award already. I was in a state of shock about it for days,” Richards said. “Ultimately, I didn’t expect to win. This is especially the case as I looked at the list of past awardees and thought about the many great scholars currently working at our institution.”
The appointment to distinguished professor is the highest honor within Harriot College and is conferred upon a professor whose career exemplifies a commitment to and a love for knowledge and academic life as demonstrated by outstanding teaching and advising, research and creative productivity, and professional service.
Dr. Allison S. Danell, dean of Harriot College, said she and committee members were inspired and impressed by Richards’ long and storied career as a valued faculty member in the Department of History.
“Nathan’s nomination package offered a compelling view of just how prolific his work has been, positioning him as a leader in maritime archaeology. Colleagues supporting his nomination categorized him as an ‘ideal faculty member, serving his discipline, department, program, community and university,’” she said. “This kind of praise is indeed beautifully aligned with the teaching, research and service missions of ECU.”
“The support of Dean Danell and her selection committee means so much, and the support of history department chair Dr. Tim Jenks and my colleagues leaves me speechless. This wasn’t something I thought would ever happen to me,” Richards said.
Teaching and Advising
“I didn’t quite understand that moving to the United States from Australia in the early 2000s would be the first step in an adventure for me,” Richards said. “I have had many incredible opportunities working for the college and the department, and getting a tenure-track position at ECU was the first opportunity.”
Dr. Nathan Richards stands inside the hatch of a partially submerged vessel as ECU maritime studies graduate student Liam O’Brien and integrated coastal sciences doctoral student Allyson Ropp measure and make notes on deck. Maritime studies students Ian Shoemaker and Keegan Maxheimer conduct research in the background. (Photo by Rebecca Kelley)
Since coming to ECU in 2003, Richards has taught numerous courses, impacting hundreds of students and future scholars. He has taught mainly graduate-level courses, including legal, ethical and professional issues in maritime studies, management of coastal cultural resources, history and theory of maritime archaeology, and advanced methods and research methodology in maritime archaeology. In addition, he has taught field research courses and has directed many summer field schools in maritime history and underwater archaeology.
Beyond his teaching and field school leadership, Richards has advised 50 master’s students on their theses, the most by one person in the program’s history. He frequently coauthors edited books, chapters and articles with students based upon their thesis research and research collaborations. These collaborations represent a regional and international scope, ranging from studies in Australia, Costa Rica, Bermuda, the Marshall Islands, the Northern Mariana Islands, Italy and across the United States, including North Carolina, Maryland, Hawaii, Wisconsin, Michigan and Florida.
“Overall, he has made a huge impact on the success of the graduate students, inspiring them and preparing them for careers in the field of maritime archaeology,” a colleague wrote in a letter of nomination for Richards.
“The Program in Maritime Studies is internationally renowned, and we attract many high-caliber graduate students,” Richards said. “Without this foundation and being able to work with such fine developing scholars, the other things that have happened to me as I drill down into a third decade at ECU would have never happened.”
Research and Creative Activity
Research and creative activity are a big part of Richards’ career, which is reflected in the external funding he has secured for the university, publications he has authored and other works.
Dr. Nathan Richards undertakes scaled drafting of the Pappy Lane wreck at the Coastal Studies Institute. (Photo by John McCord)
“Since I arrived in Greenville, I’ve had a chance to work with great colleagues around the world and engage in many research projects I’ve wanted to pursue,” he said. “I am also fortunate to be allowed to develop professionally, spending a lot of time working with scholars in other units, including biology, geography and coastal studies. Past collaborations with scholars like Dr. Tom Allen (now at Old Dominion University) and my current collaborations with scholars like Dr. Erin Field (ECU biology) have opened many new research paths for me and my students.”
Richards’ research specialization is in maritime archaeological theory and methods. He has a special interest in 19th and 20th century maritime history, the history of technology and in comparative and anthropological approaches to maritime archaeological subjects. He has been involved in field schools run by departments of archaeology at Flinders University (South Australia) and James Cook University (Queensland), and has been employed in cultural heritage management work by the state governments of South Australia and Tasmania.
His research covers the gamut from battlefield archaeology, ship conservation, coastal infrastructure, cultural heritage management and the emergence of novel marine habitats. His most notable contributions are his work on shipwrecks, for which he is internationally recognized.
One nominator wrote, “Dr. Richards has drawn attention to the cultural and ecological significance of these forgotten places and objects. His numerous publications on these topics remain the benchmark in this field and appear in numerous high-caliber collections.”
Another of Richards’ nominees wrote, “His research profile and record of projects is admirable and embraces a broad range of substantive, methodological and theoretical studies within maritime archaeology based on fieldwork in the U.S., Australia, Bermuda, Marshall Islands and other places. His (and his students’) work has introduced a much-needed anthropological quality to maritime archaeology via a series of insightful and innovative research outputs … . His breadth of activities, while obviously focused on maritime archaeology and history, is broad but strategic, providing evidence of his capacity to successfully embrace a range of interests that inform his research and teaching.”
Richards has supported maritime studies research with 25 externally funded grants totaling more than $1 million, including from federal agencies like the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, as well as many in-kind gifts from community-based partnerships for projects and field schools. He has authored two books, co-authored two more, written a dozen book chapters, and 40 peer-reviewed journal articles as a primary or secondary author. He has participated in more than 40 book reviews, and written reports and conference papers that are too numerous to count.
Professional Service
Throughout his career, Richards has provided many hours of service to academic communities and beyond, including several organizations important within the field of maritime archaeology.
Dr. Nathan Richards, Dr. Erin Field, center, and Master of Science biology student Kyra Price recover a steel coupon sample from the Pappy Lane wreck in Rodanthe. (Photo by John McCord)
“My time working within administrative roles as a program head at the Coastal Studies Institute for eight years (2011-2018) and as the director of the Program in Maritime Studies for close to the same period (2018-2025) could never have happened without the support of colleagues and many parts of ECU’s administration — especially Harriot College,” Richards said. “I have been lucky to have some great mentors over the years. I owe an incredible debt to Emeritus Professor Larry Babits (program director, 2005-2012) and especially the late Emeritus Professor Bradley Rodgers (program director, 2012-2018) as well as my maritime studies colleagues for their support.”
Richards is a member of NOAA’s Monitor National Marine Sanctuary and holds its maritime history and archaeology science seat. He serves on the editorial board of the Australasian Institute for Maritime Archaeology and previously held other roles within the organization. In addition, he holds memberships with the Steamship Historical Society of America, the Journal of Maritime Archaeology, the Society for Industrial Archaeology, the Society for History Archeology and the Register of Professional Archaeologists.
In the past, Richards has served on committees and held membership roles with the American Academy of Underwater Sciences, the Australian Archaeological Association, Australian Association of Maritime History and the North Carolina Maritime History Council. Within ECU’s Department of History and Coastal Studies Institute, Richards has also served on numerous committees and working groups.
Another one of Richards’ nominators concluded, “As a colleague, I remain inspired and motivated by Dr. Richards’ style of compassionate leadership, committed professorship and mentorship, exemplary scholarship and dedicated service, as he is a model for all of us.”