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Professional Appointments
08/2025 – Present
Lecturer, Geography, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, School of Global Integrative Studies
09/2020 – Present
U.S. Navy Reserves, Lieutenant, Strategic Command, Omaha, Nebraska, Intelligence
08/2017 – 08/2022
Global Exchange Coordinator, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, College of Education and Human Sciences
01/2015 – 08/2016
Paleoecology Lab Manager, Montana State University, Department of Earth Sciences
01/2002 – 10/2006
U.S. Coast Guard, Petty Officer 3rd Class
- River Deck Seaman (04/2002 – 06/2004, Keokuk, Iowa)
- Aviation Maintenance Technician (06/2004 – 10/2006, Clearwater, Florida)
Education
08/2025
Ph.D., Geography, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Advisor: Dr. Paul Hanson
Dissertation: Fire history, ecological history, and human-environment interactions in the Northern Great Plains
12/2016
M.S., Earth Sciences, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT
Advisor: Dr. Cathy Whitlock
Thesis: Reconstructing the vegetation and fire history of the Bridger Mountain Range using lake core sediments from Fairy Lake, Gallatin County, MT, USA
12/2012
B.S., Geography (major), Geology (minor), University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Research Interests
Human-environment interactions, biogeography, paleoclimates, paleoecology, fire history, human geography
Publications
Peer-reviewed publications
- Benes, J. V., Hanson, P. R., & Fritz, S. C., 2025. Fires and Drought During the Euro-American Settlement Period (1850-1950) in the Nebraska Sand Hills. The Holocene.
- Benes, J. V., Iglesias, V., & Whitlock, C., 2019. Postglacial vegetation dynamics at high elevation from Fairy Lake in the northern Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, Montana, USA. Quaternary Research, pp. 1-16.
- Lu, Y., Fritz, S.C., Stone, J.R., Krause, T.R., Whitlock, C., Brown, E.T. and Benes, J.V., 2017. Trends in catchment processes and lake evolution during the late-glacial and early-to mid-Holocene inferred from high-resolution XRF data in the Yellowstone region. Journal of Paleolimnology, 58(4), pp. 551-569.
Book reviews
- Benes, James, 2020. Review of Phantom Islands: In Search of Mythical Lands by Dirk Liesemer. Historical Geography 48, pp. 159-161.
- Benes, James, 2019. Review of The Cedar Choppers: Life on the Edge of Nothing by Ken Roberts. Great Plains Quarterly 39(3), pp. 318-319.
Other publications
- Benes, James V., 2021. So Much Change in Two Decades of Life – a reflection essay on serving in the military and coming to terms with homosexuality, pre- and post-Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell. American Legion Magazine.
Honors and Awards
- 2023, Flavia Waters and John L. Champe Award for dissertation research
- 2021, Yatkola-Edwards Research Grant, Nebraska Geological Society ($1000)
- 2019, College of Education and Human Sciences Staff Award
- 2018, German Embassy Grant for “German Week” ($5,491)
- 2015, Montana State Dept. of Earth Sciences Good Steward Award
- 2013-2015, Montana State Graduate Research Fellowship, Research & Teaching Assistantship
- 2012, Undergraduate Creative Activities and Research Experiences (UCARE)
- 2012, William and Edith Rockie Scholarship (Geography)
- 2012, Nels Bengtson Scholarship (Geography)
- 2006, Coast Guard Achievement Medal (Hurricane Katrina efforts)
Academic Conference Participation
- 2024: Oral Presentation, Association of American Geographers, Honolulu, HI
- 2023: Oral Presentation, Nebraska Society of Professional Soil Scientists and Society for Range Management Symposium
- 2016: Oral Presentation, Association of American Geographers, San Francisco, CA
- 2015: Oral Presentation, Montana State Dept. of Earth Sciences Research Colloquium
- 2014: Poster Presentation, Yellowstone National Park 12th Biennial Scientific Conference
Pedagogical and Research Experience
2024–Present
Mentor, undergraduate lab technicians (UCARE-funded research on sediment core)
2022–Present
Instructor of Record, UNL School of Global Integrated Studies-Geography
- Global Environmental Issues (GEOG 181)
- World Regional Geography (GEOG 272)
- Physical Geography (GEOG 155)
2017–2022
Instructor of Record, UNL College of Education and Human Sciences
- Ready/Set/Go travel preparedness seminar
2019
Instructor of Record, Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, UNL
- The Rock Cycle
- Vegetation Change in the Great Plains Since the Last Ice Age
2017
Adjunct Instructor, Montana State University, Dept. of Earth Sciences
- Introduction to Earth Sciences (ERTH 101)
- Biogeography (GPHY 411)
2013–2014
Graduate Teaching and Research Assistant, Montana State University
- Yellowstone: A Scientific Laboratory (ERTH 212)
Guest Lectures and Presentations
Fall 2022
“Using Geochemicals to Bolster Fire Records in the Nebraska Sand Hills” – Nebraska Geological Society
Fall 2021
“Inequities in Human Responses to Climate Change” – AFIRE, UNL
Fall 2021
“Human Geography of Israel and the Palestinian Territories” – GEOG 272, UNL
Fall 2021
Human Geography Tour Guide, AAG Rocky Mountain-Great Plains Regional Meeting
Fall 2018
“Primer on Physical Geography and the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict” – POLS 470, UNL
2014–2016
“Human Geography of Israel and the Palestinian Territories” – GPHY 141, Montana State University
Activities and Service
2023–Present
Funeral Honors Detail for fallen service members, U.S. Navy
2022
Science Fair Judge, St. Peter’s Catholic School, Lincoln, NE
2018
Panelist, Academic Advising Association, UNL
2018
Panelist Expert, Nebraska State World Food Prize
2016–2017
Montana State University LGBTQ Mentoring Program
2013–2015
Chair, MSU Earth Sciences Graduate Student Research Colloquium
2014
Meteorology Captain, Montana High School Science Olympiad
2013
Travel Assistant, International Moor Excursion, Yellowstone
2006–2012
Women’s Flat Track Derby Association, referee and Head Referee, No Coast Derby Girls
Professional Associations
2021–Present
Graduate Fellow, Center for Great Plains Studies, UNL
2021–Present
Out in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (oSTEM)
2017–2022
National Association for Study Abroad (NAFSA)
2013–Present
Association of American Geographers (AAG)
2006–Present
The American Legion, Post #0003
