John Cropper earned his Ph.D. from the University of Chicago and currently serves as an assistant professor of African History at the College of Charleston. His research interests include the history of the environment, development and aid, energy use, and politics in French West Africa. His current book project, entitled From the Field to the Refinery: Energy, Technology, and Infrastructure in Senegal, 1450-2015, explores Senegal’s transition from a pre-industrial organic economy to a modern hybrid energy economy based on fossil fuels, local fuels, and renewable energy