AJ Strombeck
Research Assistant
(she/her)
AJ Strombeck
Contact
Email: amanda.strombeck@bc.edu
Education
- B.A., History, Western Colorado University
- B.S., Biology, Western Colorado University
Research Interests
Health and Capitalism
History of Medicine
Environmental History
19th and 20th centuries
United States History
Advisor
Department
Biography
As a historian with a varied background, AJ values a strong interdisciplinary approach to research and education. Combining her interests in history, biology, and ecology, she studies the interactions between capitalistic attitudes and human and environmental health in the United States. To AJ, American capitalism is not merely an economic system, but an ideology that promotes overconsumption and places monetary value on human lives and natural ecosystems. She is especially interested in 19th century American Westward expansion and the role of health and capitalism in driving settler colonialism.
AJ graduated summa cum laude from Western Colorado University in 2025 with a B.A. in History and a B.S. in Biology. In the field, she has undertaken historical projects at the Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory and in Colorado’s Gunnison Valley, where she has also worked on several ecological research projects.
When not pursuing academic interests, AJ enjoys biking, hiking, making art, and watching her favorite TV shows.