We believe studying the history of science in a large and diverse history department provides a robust intellectual foundation and can offer advantages in the job market. In addition to their research and teaching experience in the History of Science, our students graduate with teaching experience in more general undergraduate courses such as World History, European History, and American History. Recent advertisements for jobs in the history of science, technology, and medicine often cite demonstrated competence in one of these areas as a requirement for the position and our program at UCSB can help provide this.
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Applying to the UCSB program
Potential graduate students are strongly encouraged to contact faculty with interests in their proposed areas of research prior to filing applications. Applicants submit their application materials to the general UCSB History Department but should note their interest in the History of Science and, ideally, which faculty members they wish to work with. General applications materials are available here.
Graduate Course offerings in HSTM
The History of Science field requires students to complete twenty-four credit hours to sit for the M.A. examinations. This should include a single two-quarter graduate research seminar in history of science, technology, or medicine (HIST 277AB, or HIST 278AB) in addition to other departmental requirements.
Program faculty offer wide and diverse range of courses in the history of science, technology, and medicine. Some recent offerings include: the Darwinian Revolution, science and the Cold War, the history of health and race in Latin America, social issues of stem cell research, and the study of emerging technologies.
Students with prior historical work in the history of science, technology, and medicine may apply to waive selected courses.
Core Faculty in the History Department
Peter Alagona.
Joint appointment with Environmental Studies Program
Research Interests: American environmental history, history of science
Anita Guerrini.
Joint appointment with Environmental Studies Program
Research interests: Enlightenment science, Scientific Revolution, anatomy, human and animal relationships, history of European medicine (as of July 2008, Professor Guerrini is at Oregon State University and is no longer at UCSB)
W. Patrick McCray.
Research interests: History of modern physical sciences, science and the Cold War, emerging technologies
Michael A. Osborne.
Joint appointment with Environmental Studies Program
Research interests: European science and medicine, science and imperialism, environmental history, science and religion (as of July 2009, Professor Osborne is at Oregon State University and is no longer at UCSB)
Gabriela Soto-Laveaga.
Research interests: Modern Mexico, bio-prospecting, history of race and health, science in Latin America
Affiliated Faculty, Researchers, and Emeriti
Gerardo Aldana
Joint appointment with Department of Chicana and Chicano Studies
Research interests: Intellectual communities of Mesoamerica; ancient astronomy; indigenous science; science and religion; science in colonial Latin America
Lawrence Badash (badash@history.ucsb.edu)
Emeritus Professor of the History of Science. Research interests: Science policy, nuclear winter, science in the Cold War
Greg Graves (graves@history.ucsb.edu)
Research interests: American environmental history, hydrological engineering
Peter Neushul (pneushul@cox.net)
Research interests: Military industrial complex, history of American technology, mariculture
Peter Westwick (westwick@history.ucsb.edu)
Research interests: Cold War science, American science and technology, modern physical sciences
The Badash Prize in the History of Science, Technology, and Medicine
This celebrates the career of Lawrence Badash, founder of HSTM at UCSB who served the university, community and historical profession in several capacities for many years. An inveterate worker for peace and weapons control, Professor Badash remains the very model of a socially engaged intellectual. This prize is awarded annually for the best graduate student essay in the preceding three years on the history of science, technology or medicine in any era or geographical arena, or on weapons control.
Past Badash Prize winners:
- 2009, Nicole Pacino, "Title" (Mentor: Soto-Laveaga)
- 2008, Jill Briggs, "'An Agreed-on Program': Eugenics and Public Discourse in the late 1930's" (Mentor: Osborne)
- 2007, Nicole A. Archambeau, “The Cycle of Negative Emotions: Comparing Sufferers’ and University Trained Practitioners’ View of Tristia” (Mentor: Farmer)
- 2006, Paul Hirsch, "Weird Science: Uncensored Representations of the Atomic Bomb in American Comics, 1945-1954” (Mentor: Hasegawa)
- 2005, Donald R. Burnette, "Failed Boundary Objects: The Case of Frederic E. Clements and the Santa Barbara Botanic Garden" (Mentor: Osborne)
- 2004, Jason Kelly, “Archaeology and Enlightenment Natural Philosophy” (Mentor: Guerrini)
The following faculty are in this field
FacultyLecturersAffiliatedEmeriti