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Jesse Smith

Director of Curatorial Affairs and Digital Content

Jesse Smith is the director of curatorial affairs and digital content at the Science History Institute, where he oversees collecting activities and interpretive projects in the public history of science and technology. He was the curator of Downstream, a temporary exhibition on the history of water analysis and protection, which received a 2022 Institutional Achievement Award from PA Museums, a 2022 Award of Excellence from the American Association of State and Local History, and the 2022 Dibner Award for Excellence in Museum Exhibits from the Society for the History of Technology.

Jesse is also the associate editor of the journal History and Technology. His writing has appeared in a variety of publications including the Washington Post and the exhibition catalog Pool: A Social History of Segregation. Jesse received his PhD in the history and sociology of science at the University of Pennsylvania.

Jesse is a member of the Science History Institute’s Leadership Team.

More from Jesse Smith

colorized image of students eating lunch

Lunchtime: The History of Science on the School Food Tray

This exhibition offers a novel historical perspective on efforts to feed children in U.S. schools.

2 people sitting at a library information desk

Get to Know Phillip Bellizzi, Our New Public Services Librarian

One of Phil’s roles is to answer reference questions. Today’s subject? Himself.

illustration of children playing

The Kids Are Alright

Understanding past attitudes toward science and medicine through children’s books.

Downstream

Explore more than 200 years of water analysis and protection in the Delaware River Valley and beyond.

Black and white illustration of hydrologic cycle

Cycles, Circulations, and Systems

We live in a relational world. Technoscientific images help us see that way.

An illustration of a side view of a fish with wings

A New Blog Takes Flight

Meet Gabriela and Jesse, coeditors of the Institute’s new collections blog.