Rick Woten

Dr. Rick L. Woten is a historian, educator, and public history professional with more than 20 years of experience in higher education, curriculum development, historical research, and community engagement. He serves as a Contributing Faculty Member at Walden University, where he supports student success through learner-centered instruction and scholarly mentorship.
Dr. Woten earned a Ph.D. in History from Iowa State University and has taught undergraduate and graduate courses in U.S. history, government, African American history, historiography, research methods, and interdisciplinary studies at a variety of institutions. His teaching experience includes appointments with Purdue Global, American Public University, Pearson Education, and several other colleges and universities.
His research interests include American history, public history, agricultural and rural history, environmental history, historical infrastructure, and the scholarship of teaching and learning in online higher education. He has published scholarly articles, book reviews, digital history resources, and educational materials, and he serves as a peer reviewer and subject matter expert for academic publishers and educational organizations.
In addition to his academic work, Dr. Woten has held leadership positions in museums, historical societies, and heritage organizations. He currently serves as Chair of the Board of Trustees for Silos & Smokestacks National Heritage Area and has contributed to numerous public history, preservation, and humanities initiatives. His professional service includes appointments with the National Endowment for the Humanities, Educational Testing Service, and several national historical organizations.

Education

PhD, Iowa State University

MA, Iowa State University

BS, Iowa State University

Public Service

Silos and Smokestacks National Heritage Area, Chair - Waterloo

Historic Preservation Commission, Ottumwa, Iowa, Other -

Iowa Museum Association, Board of Directors - Cedar Falls

County Extension Council, Iowa State University County Extension; Wapello County, Other - Ottumwa

Historic Preservation Commission, Ottumwa, Iowa, Other -

Silos and Smokestacks National Heritage Area, Other - Waterloo

Silos and Smokestacks National Heritage Area, Other - Waterloo

Awards / Honors

2019 Golden Silo Outstanding Volunteer Awardee, Silos and Smokestacks National Heritage Area, 2019

High Five Teaching Excellence, APUS, 2014

High Five Teaching Excellence, APUS, 2014

High Five Teaching Excellence, APUS, 2014

Iowa State University Graduate and Professional Student Senate Teaching Award, Iowa State University Graduate and Professional Student Senate, 2008

Publications

Woten, R. (2008). Remembering the Past and Setting the Way Forward: The Mortensen Road Dairy Teaching Farm..

Woten, R. (2009). Gertrude Durden Rush.

Woten, R. (2009). Benjamin Gue.

Woten, R. (2009). Augustus Caesar Dodge.

Woten, R. (2009). Cyrus Clay Carpenter.

Woten, R. (2006). Agricultural History Primer.

Woten, R. (2021). “Hotel Ottumwa.”. The Ottumwa Preservationist no. 2

Woten, R. (2011). Historic Canals and Waterways of South Carolina.. Journal of Southern History

Woten, R. (2017). Major Taylor in Australia.. The International Journal of the History of Sport

Woten, R. (2019). Muscle on Wheels: Louise Armaindo and the High-Wheel Racers of Nineteenth-Century America.. The Journal of Sport History

Woten, R. (2012). Steamboats and the Rise of the Cotton Kingdom.. Ohio Valley History

Woten, R. (2023). The Idealist: Jack Trice and the Battle for a Forgotten Football Legacy.. The Historian

Woten, R. (2009). Triumph at the Falls: The Louisville and Portland Canal.. Ohio Valley History

Presentations

Woten, R. (2019). "Agricultural Stewardship". Living History Farms

Woten, R. (2016). “A Discussion on Agricultural History and Infrastructure”. RDG Design

Woten, R. (2008). “Boosterism, Statehood, and Law: The Politics of Improvement in Nineteenth-Century Iowa”. Policy History Society

Woten, R. (2021). “Constructing a New Museum and Research Center”. YWCA Past Board Members Group

Woten, R. (2021). “Constructing a New Museum and Research Center”. YWCA Past Board Members Group

Woten, R. (2007). “Constructing Regionalism through Improvement: The Des Moines River Lands Grant and Improvement Project”. University of Nebraska Lincoln

Woten, R. (2019). “Historical Flooding on the Des Moines River”. American Home Finding Association

Woten, R. (2005). “Improving the River and the State: The Legacy of the Des Moines River Lands Grant”. Popular Culture Association

Woten, R. (2007). “Integrating the World Wide Web into the Historical Profession: Dissemination of Historical Content on the Internet” . Agricultural History Society

Woten, R. (2007). “Navigating Improvement in a Settler Society: Constructing the Des Moines River Improvement Project, 1846-1902" . Society for the History of Technology

Woten, R. (2020). “Ottumwa, Iowa and the 1903 Flood” . , Ottumwa Women’s Club

Woten, R. (2009). “Sowing the Seeds of Communication: The Department of Agriculture, E.T. Meredith, and the Growth of American Radio”. Agricultural History Society

Woten, R. (2007). “Technological Methodologies in Historical Teaching and Research”. Agricultural History Society

Woten, R. (2013). “The Des Moines River Improvement Project” . Iowa Department of Natural Resources

Woten, R. (2016). “The Houses That Sears Built” . Preserve Iowa

Woten, R. (2018). “The Iowa Sprinter and World Champion: Orlando Stevens”. Smithsonian & Wapello County Historical Society

Woten, R. (2006). “The Promise of a Great Water Thoroughfare for the Transportation of Midwestern Produce: The Des Moines River Lands Grant and Improvement Project”. Agricultural History Society

Woten, R. (2019). “Work in Progress: Wapello County Historical Society” . Ottumwa School District Retirees