Current Fellows
The Beckman Center for the History of Chemistry at the Science History Institute is pleased to announce our 2023–2024 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 Fellows
Haas Curatorial Fellow
Museum Interpretation
Cain Curatorial Fellow
Oral History
Postdoctoral Research Fellow
Claire Litt
Price-Doan Postdoctoral Fellow
Real and Synthetic Stones as Materia Medica in Late Renaissance Medical Alchemy
Dissertation Fellow
Taylor Dysart
Allington Dissertation Fellow
University of Pennsylvania
The Scientist and the Jaguar: Wondrous Plants and the Politics of Knowledge in the Amazon
Cain Conference Fellow
Sibrina N. Collins
Lawrence Technological University
Storytelling as Pedagogy: Historical Biographies in STEM and Social Studies
Senior Fellows
Sean Silver
Doan Senior Fellow
Rutgers University
The Motley Emblem: Tristram Shandy and the Empire of Color
Kara W. Swanson
Seidel Senior Fellow
Northeastern University
Inventing Citizens: Race, Gender, and the United States Patent System
Short-Term Fellows
Arnav Bhattacharya
Herdegen Fellow
University of Pennsylvania
Rejuvenating and Transforming the Body and the Nation: Overlapping Histories of Sexology and Endocrinology in Early to Mid-20th Century India
Edward Chappell
Science History Institute Fellow
University of Pennsylvania
The Secrets of Wine: Winemaking Manuals, Books of Secrets, and Knowledge in Early Modern Italy
Nikhil Joseph Dharan
Mistry Fellow
University of Pennsylvania
Colonial Alchemies: Chemical Knowledge and Industrialization in South India, 1914–1935
Thea Goldring
Allington Fellow
Harvard University
Drawing Nature: Carême de Fécamp and Scientific Drawing in the Long 18th Century
Andrew Kettler
Science History Institute Fellow
University of South Carolina-Palmetto College
The Miasmic Theft of Modernity: A Global History of Sulfur
Gustave Lester
Presidential Junior Fellow
Harvard University
Mineral Lands, Mineral Empire: Mapping the Raw Materials of U.S. Industrial Capitalism, 1780–1880
Delanie Linden
Doan Fellow
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Other Colors: Chroma, Chemistry, and the Orient in 19th-Century French Painting
Jennifer Lupu
Haas Fellow
Northwestern University
Consuming Care: Pharmaceuticals Use and Access in Washington, D.C., 1850–1920
Amanda Nichols
Otlet Fellow
Oklahoma Christian University
The Role of Women Chemists in the Development of Molecular Structure Theory
Sean O’Neil
Herdegen Fellow
Hong Kong Baptist University
The Art of Signs: Symbolic Notation and Visual Thinking in Early Modern Europe
Jim Wynter Porter
Haas Fellow
Independent Scholar
“Race,” “Ability,” and Chemistry Curriculum Development in the Mid-20th Century United States
Claire Sabel
Haas Fellow
University of Pennsylvania
Rare Earth: Gemstones, Geohistories, and Commercial Geography Between Southeast Asia and Europe, c. 1600–1750
Julian Silverman
Haas Fellow
Fashion Institute of Technology
The Material History of Soap: Crafting a Scientific Demonstration for Public Audiences
Peter Vale
Haas Fellow
University of California, Berkeley
“Child of Copper”: Mining, Capitalism, and State-Making in Central Africa
Emmet von Stackelberg
Mistry Fellow
Harvard University
Seeing through Silver: How Chemists and Capital Made Images Move
Science History Institute Research Fellow
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.