Science, Medicine, & Technology

The history of science, medicine, and technology examines how humanity’s understanding of the natural world—science and medicine—and how its ability to manipulate it—medicine and technology—have changed over time. Scholars in the Corcoran Department of History approach these questions from a variety of vantage points.  Some of us look at the technical development of science, medicine, and technology; some of us focus on the broader social and cultural impacts of science, medicine, and technology; some of us do both.  We are interested in issues as diverse as the formation of communities of experts and the impact of scientific, medical, and technological knowledge on economic practices and political decision-making, and we use a wide range of sources—from laboratory notebooks and other archival materials to technical publications to instruments to the popular press—to inform our historical analyses. 

Faculty

La Fleur
Assistant Professor, General Faculty
Nau 436
Office Hours: ON LEAVE
Themes: Environmental History, History of Slavery, Science, Medicine, & Technology
Photo by Chris Taylor / U.S. Department of the Treasury
Assistant Professor of History and American Studies
484 Nau Hall
Office Hours: W, 11:00AM-1:00PM and Zoom by appointment at https://calendly.com/ds2ax
Themes: Economic History & History of Capitalism, Empire & Colonialism, Environmental History, Labor History, Science, Medicine, & Technology
Parshall
Commonwealth Professor of History and Mathematics, Emerita
Nau 456 and Kerchof 213
Office Hours: By appointment
Themes: Cultural and Social History, Intellectual History & History of Ideas, Science, Medicine, & Technology
Carlson
Professor
A220 Thornton Hall
Office Hours: Thurs. 12:30-2:00 (434) 924-4306 (434) 924-4306
Themes: Cultural and Social History, Economic History & History of Capitalism, Science, Medicine, & Technology

Graduate Student