Lawrence Kessler holds a doctorate in history from Temple University. His research specializes in the intersection of agriculture, environment, and empire in U.S. history, and the ways that food production and consumption connected far-flung places in complex webs of exchange. Lawrence is the prize-winning author of several academic articles, essays, and reviews, and he is now writing a book manuscript on the history of the Hawaiian sugar industry. When he is not writing, Lawrence can be found exploring Philadelphia’s dynamic food culture or enjoying the city’s bicycle routes and trails.