Biography - Rick L Woten

I am Rick Woten, a Doctor of History from Iowa State University. My area of historical interest and research is mainly 19th century American internal improvements and their role in state formation in the Early Republic and Antebellum. In other words, I examine the process by which citizens and government create a social contract of governance to create society.

My other areas of interest are environmental, agricultural, legal, and American Indian history. I am an active member of numerous professional historical societies and am in the process of wrapping up several articles and revising my dissertation manuscript for publication. In general, I love history.

Outside of history, I am an avid cyclist and love the outdoors. Each summer I partake in RAGBRAI. RAGBRAI is a one-week bicycle tour (not a race!) across my home state of Iowa. While I no longer attempt to race a bicycle, I still enjoy the social camaraderie that comes with it. I also love the Badlands and Black Hills of South Dakota.

I became involved in online learning because I enjoy technology and the opportunity to interact with people from such varied backgrounds. We each bring great and often very unique experiences with us.