Current Fellows
The Beckman Center for the History of Chemistry at the Science History Institute is pleased to announce our 2024–2025 class of fellows.
Hailing from a diverse list of local, national, and international institutions, our incoming fellows will use our collections to study a wide range of topics in the history and social studies of chemistry, chemical engineering, and the life sciences.
In addition to our postdoctoral, dissertation, distinguished, and short-term research fellows, the Beckman Center will once again welcome a cohort of two-year curatorial fellows who will assist with ongoing projects as staff members, expanding and exploring interpretive programs for our library and museum.
Fellows: 1987 to Present
The Beckman Center has hosted over 350 scholars from around the world. See a list of our fellows, along with their research topics and affiliation at the time of their stay.
Curatorial Fellow
NEH Postdoctoral Research Fellow
Postdoctoral Research Fellows
Dissertation Fellows
Cecilio M. Cooper
Price-Haas Postdoctoral Fellow
South of Heaven: Surface, Territory + the Black Chthonic
Reut Ullman
Cain Postdoctoral Fellow
A Window to the World: Artisanal Knowledge Regime in the Russian Empire (1500–1750)
Jacob Myers
Allington Dissertation Fellow
University of Pennsylvania
Noxious Life: Figuring Vermin in the Natural Histories of the British Caribbean
Samantha Nadel
Cain Dissertation Fellow
Boston University
Indigenous Contributions to Colorant Chemistry: The Influence of Mexican Cochineal Production Methods on European Scientists
Cain Conference Fellow
Luis Campos
Rice University
The Spirit of Asilomar and the Future of Biotechnology
Senior Fellows
Finn Arne Jørgensen
Science History Institute Senior Fellow
University of Stavanger, Norway
Gaming Green Transitions: Petrocultures and Societal Change in Environmental Board Games
Melanie Nilsson
Doan Senior Fellow
McDaniel College
Broadening the Representation of Chemists Highlighted by National Historic Chemical Landmarks
John Powers
Cain Senior Fellow
Virginia Commonwealth University
Thermometers and the Senses in 18th-Century Chemistry
Short-Term Fellows
Sara Bassanelli
Doan Fellow
University of Pavia, Italy
The Diplomacy of Standardization: Negotiating International Standards in Physics and Chemistry (1920s– 1970s)
Leo Chu
Cain Fellow
University of New South Wales, Australia
From Green Revolution to Green Chemistry: The Chemical Foundation of Sustainable Agriculture, 1960–2010
Jessica Hogbin
Allington Fellow
Syracuse University
Innumerable Melancholies: Medicine and Mental Health in Renaissance Italy
Bree Lohman
Haas Fellow
University of Toronto
Of Fallout and Outfall: National Insecurity, Public Health, and the Partial Containment of Hazards in the Occupied Arctic
Alexandra Macdonald
Doan Fellow
College of William and Mary
Blue Gold: Indigo in the British World, 1680–1880
Alejandra Ruiz-León
Haas Fellow
Georgia Institute of Technology
Caged Knowledge: The History of TECNO-ITINTEC, a pioneering interactive science museum of Latin America
Candida F. Sánchez Burmester
Ullyot Scholar
Maastricht University, Netherlands
The Dawn of Nanotoxicology: The Toxic Effects of Nanoparticles in Humans and the Formation of a New Field
Prerna Srigyan
Herdegen Fellow
University of California, Irvine
Lecture to Lab: Experimental Science Education in Cold War America
Eleanor Webb
Cain Fellow
University of Pennsylvania
Between Studium and Accademia: Science, Medicine, and Education in Early Modern Italy
Cheyeun Whang
Mistry Fellow
Harvard University
Finishing Touch: Cleaning the Modern American Body, 1880–1970
Research Fellows
Available Opportunities
Our scholars study a range of topics in the history and social studies of chemistry, chemical engineering, and the life sciences.
How to Apply
Access application forms and instructions for our fellowships and library travel grants.
Fellows: 1987 to Present
See a list of fellows through the years, along with their research topics and affiliation at the time of their stay.
Application Guide
Optimize your fellowship application with this guide to candidate selection criteria and much more.
Frequently Asked Questions
Get answers to common questions, including international visas and daily life at the Institute.
Named Fellowships
Learn about our named fellowships, their recipients, and the generous gifts that made them possible.