Derek is a Ph.D. student studying the role of mining in the American West. He graduated from the University of Oklahoma with a BA in History in 2013 and a MA in History in 2015. His thesis, titled “Mining Comparisons: Ethnicity, Labor, and Place in Butte and Bisbee, 1890-1920” was completed under the direction of Dr. David Wrobel. As part of his thesis, Derek explored the role of ethnicity, family structure and demographics, churches and fraternal organizations, and the relationship between capital and labor in the development of mining communities.
