Joshua Inwood
Joshua F. J. Inwood is an American human geographer and professor of geography and African American studies at the Pennsylvania State University. He is known for his research on race, [...], settler colonialism, and social justice within the field of human geography. He is also a Senior Research Associate with the Rock Ethics Institute and Director of the PLACE (Lab for Analysis of Culture and Environment) research initiative.
Early life and education
Inwood received bachelor's degrees in Geography and History from Michigan State University. He completed an M.A. in Geography at Kent State University and earned his Ph.D. from the University of Georgia in 2007.
Academic career
Following the completion of his doctorate, Inwood held faculty positions at Auburn University and the University of Tennessee. He later joined the faculty at Pennsylvania State University, where he holds a joint appointment in Geography and African American Studies. He is also affiliated with the Rock Ethics Institute.
He serves as Director of PLACE.
Research
Inwood's scholarship examines the intersections of race, space, political economy, and power. His work has addressed:
- geographies of [...] and the U.S. settler state;
- racial capitalism and uneven development;
- memory, monuments, and contested heritage;
- violence, truth and reconciliation, and social justice organizing.
He has written extensively on the political geographies of the U.S. South
Selected publications
- Inwood, J. F. J. (2018). "It is the innocence which constitutes the crime: Political geographies of [...], the construction of white innocence, and the Flint water crisis." Geography Compass.
- Inwood, J. F. J. & Bonds, A. (2017). "Property and whiteness: The Oregon Standoff and the contradictions of the U.S. settler state." Space & Polity.
- Inwood, J. F. J. & Alderman, D. (2016). "Beyond white privilege: Geographies of [...] and settler colonialism." ProgresS in Human Geography.
Awards and honors
Inwood has received several professional recognitions, including:
- AAG Fellow (2025), elected by the American Association of Geographers;
- Stanley Brunn Young Scholar Award, AAG Political Geography Specialty Group;
- Glenda Laws Award for contributions to social justice scholarship.