The History of Science field encompasses a broad range of topics including history of knowledge, technology, medicine, and the environment. In addition to the Department of History’s nationally and internationally recognized faculty and diverse course offerings, our campus is home to numerous other outstanding related departments, programs, and research centers. Each year, history of science faculty and students participate in a wide variety of activities and initiatives that promote graduate education and enrich the intellectual life of the campus. Santa Barbara and the surrounding environs are also home to a large collection of museums and archival institutions. The field regularly hosts guest speakers and visiting colleagues from other institutions throughout the US and beyond.
History of Science, Technology, Medicine and Environment Colloquium
In addition to regular course offerings, there is a regular colloquium/workshop that meets throughout the academic year (typically 4-5 times per quarter). It is open to all students, from those just starting out to those about to enter the job market. This course features invited visiting scholars presenting their yet-to-be-published work, as well as offers an opportunity for graduate students to prersent their own research, to “workshop” job or conference presentations, etc. Another function of the colloquium is to serve as a “journal club”: faculty and graduate students may suggest to read important recent publications in the field – books, articles, and so forth – to discuss together as a group. All in all, this course is designed as a space for graduate students to discuss and engage witgh emerging new directions in scholarship in a friendly and supportive environment.
People: History of Science Faculty and Graduate Students
- Elena Aronova (Associate Professor) Research Interests: history of the life and environmental sciences; the circulation of knowledge between natural sciences and the humanities in the 19th and 20th centuries; history of science in Russia and the Soviet Union; science and the Cold War
- Brad Bouley (Associate Professor) Research Interests: histories of religion and science in early modern Europe
- Jinu Choi (Assistant Professor) Research interests: Environmental History; history of climate and society; meteorology and climatology; environmental knowledge and practices in the early modern world
- W. Patrick McCray (Professor) Research interests: History of modern American technology and physical sciences, science and the Cold War, emerging technologies; art & technology
- Kate McDonald (Associate Professor) Research interests: Technology and empire; history of transportation, infrastructure and mobility; history of science and technology in East Asia.
- Elena G. Mailander (Ph.D. Candidate) (emailander@ucsb.edu). Research interests: history of science and technology; 20th century East Asia; print culture; information and discourse networks; science, media, and society.
- Billy Marino (Ph.D. Candidate) (wmarino@ucsb.edu). Research interests: Mars and planetary science; robotic space exploration; environmental and scientific knowledge creation; 20th century US.
- Xiaosong Gao (Ph.D. Candidate). Research interests: history of medicine; sensory history; material history of science; middle and late imperial China; global history
- Gavin Williams (Grad Student) (grwilliams@ucsb.edu). Research interests: Early modern Portuguese Empire; Atlantic history; history of drugs and medicine; commodity history
- Alexandra Noi (Ph.D. Candidate) (alexandra_noi@ucsb.edu). Research interests: history of science in the Soviet Union and China, eugenics, incarceration, Cold War science
- Mark Makukutsi (Grad Student) (markmakukutsi@ucsb.edu). Research Interests: Colonial impacts on African people’s medical practices and their perceptions towards medicine, and its effects on healthcare and healthcare delivery in the wake of natural disasters.
- Avie Rath (Grad Student) (avrath@ucsb.edu). Research interests