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

Judith Kaplan smiling

Cain Curatorial Fellow

Scientific Biographies

NEH Postdoctoral Research Fellow

profile view of Samantha Wesner wearing eyeglasses


Citizens Electric: Electricity and Democracy in the Revolutionary Atlantic World

Postdoctoral Research Fellows

Dissertation Fellows

Cecilio in a black dress-shirt, leopard-print glasses, resting head on hand, in front of a bright red brick wall

Cecilio M. Cooper

Price-Haas Postdoctoral Fellow


South of Heaven: Surface, Territory + the Black Chthonic

Reut Ullman with hair down, wearing gray cotton shirt

Reut Ullman

Cain Postdoctoral Fellow


A Window to the World: Artisanal Knowledge Regime in the Russian Empire (1500–1750)

Jacob Myer outdoors in front of trees, smiling

Jacob Myers

Allington Dissertation Fellow
University of Pennsylvania


Noxious Life: Figuring Vermin in the Natural Histories of the British Caribbean

Samantha Nadel, smiling, wearing glasses, maroon and off-white top, blue lanyard

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 smiling, wearing glasses, in front of bookshelf

Luis Campos

Rice University


The Spirit of Asilomar and the Future of Biotechnology

Senior Fellows

Al Coppola in glasses outdoors in urban (New York) environment

Al Coppola

Otlet Fellow
John Jay College, CUNY


Enlightenment Visibilities

Finn Arne Jørgensen outdoors, wearing glasses and blue collared patterned shirt

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 smiling, wearing blue and white patterned collared shirt

Melanie Nilsson

Doan Senior Fellow
McDaniel College


Broadening the Representation of Chemists Highlighted by National Historic Chemical Landmarks

John Powers outdoors in an urban area, wearing t-shirt, resting chin on hands

John Powers

Cain Senior Fellow
Virginia Commonwealth University


Thermometers and the Senses in 18th-Century Chemistry

Short-Term Fellows

Sara Bassanelli wearing dark red velvet jacket, black shirt, head tilted to her left

Sara Bassanelli

Doan Fellow
University of Pavia, Italy


The Diplomacy of Standardization: Negotiating International Standards in Physics and Chemistry (1920s– 1970s)

Leo Chu in gray and black checkered flannel, glasses, white lanyard

Leo Chu

Cain Fellow
University of New South Wales, Australia


From Green Revolution to Green Chemistry: The Chemical Foundation of Sustainable Agriculture, 1960–2010

Studio portrait of Jessica Hogbin, wearing black blazer and embroidered blouse

Jessica Hogbin

Allington Fellow
Syracuse University


Innumerable Melancholies: Medicine and Mental Health in Renaissance Italy

Bree Lohman, wearing black suit, outdoors on a university campus

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 wearing black, smiling, indoors on wooden bench

Alexandra Macdonald

Doan Fellow
College of William and Mary


Blue Gold: Indigo in the British World, 1680–1880

books on a shelf

Alejandra Ruiz-León

Haas Fellow
Georgia Institute of Technology


Caged Knowledge: The History of TECNO-ITINTEC, a pioneering interactive science museum of Latin America

Studio portrait of Candida F. Sánchez Burmester wearing white dress shirt, glasses, long earrings, resting chin on hand

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 in 3/4 view, outdoors in the sun, with blue glasses atop her head

Prerna Srigyan

Herdegen Fellow
University of California, Irvine


Lecture to Lab: Experimental Science Education in Cold War America

Eleanor Webb wearing black, sitting in front of bookcase

Eleanor Webb

Cain Fellow
University of Pennsylvania


Between Studium and Accademia: Science, Medicine, and Education in Early Modern Italy

Othmer Library from southeast corner

Cheyeun Whang

Mistry Fellow
Harvard University


Finishing Touch: Cleaning the Modern American Body, 1880–1970

Research Fellows

Shuko in museum, wearing glasses and a shirt with a bird pattern

Shuko Tamao

Research Fellow in Residence

Mary Ellen Bowden

Science History Institute
Senior Research Fellow

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