Introduction
The Department of the History of Science at the University of Wisconsin-Madison
houses one of the largest, broadest, and most prestigious academic programs
in the United States for the history of science, medicine and technology.
Founded in 1941, it was the first history of science program to exist
as an independent academic department.
The department's fourteen tenured and tenure-track faculty
members and affiliated scholars provide broad coverage of the field, with
expertise in the physical, biological and social sciences from the Middle
Ages to the present; medicine from the early modern period to the present;
and technology from the nineteenth century to the present. The department
has strong geographic coverage of Europe and the United States, with growing
expertise in non-Western areas.
Ties to Other Programs
The department's strength in history of medicine is bolstered by close cooperation with the Department of Medical History and Bioethics in the School of Medicine. The department also benefits from its close association with the Program in Science and Technology Studies, which brings together scholars and students involved in the study of science, technology and medicine from a wide variety of discipline, among them philosophy, sociology, communications, and policy studies. Faculty members are also active in a wide range of interdisciplinary programs across campus, including Integrated Liberal Studies, the Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies, and Women’s Studies, making the department a vibrant center of intellectual exchange across academic departments within the university.