Dr. Shane Bernard, author of Teche: A History of Louisiana’s Most Famous Bayou, discussed the environmental history of the Bayou Teche, the vital waterway that connects New Iberia to the world.

ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Shane K. Bernard holds a Ph.D. in History from Texas A&M University and degrees in English and History from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. He is the author of Swamp Pop: Cajun and Creole Rhythm and Blues (1996), The Cajuns: Americanization of a People (2003), Cajuns and Their Acadian Ancestors: A Young Reader’s History (2008), and Teche: A History of Louisiana’s Most Famous Bayou (2016).

Since 1993, Bernard has served as historian and curator to McIlhenny Company, maker of Tabasco brand products, and Avery Island, Inc.

He has been interviewed about south Louisiana history and culture by numerous media outlets, including the BBC, CNN, NPR, The History Channel, the New York Times, and the National Geographic Society.

In 2015 he was chosen as a Research Fellow at UL Lafayette's Center for Louisiana Studies. Bernard is married, has two children, and resides in New Iberia, Louisiana, a short distance from Bayou Teche.