Participant Info

First Name
Caitlin
Last Name
Wylie
Affiliation
University of Virginia
Website URL
https://engineering.virginia.edu/faculty/caitlin-donahue-wylie
Keywords
science, technology, engineering, laboratories, museums, paleontology, higher education, science education
Additional Contact Information

Personal Info

Photo
About Me

I’ve researched how science and society interact at the universities of Chicago and Cambridge, the Max Planck Institute for the History of Science (Berlin), the New Jersey Institute of Technology, and now at UVA. I focus on the unwritten work and workers in 20th- and 21st-century research communities, such as technicians, whose names and work are missing from publications, and students and volunteers, whose contributions to laboratory work are often overlooked. This topic includes who works in laboratories and what they do, how people learn to conduct research, and how workers define skill, expertise, and social status. I use qualitative social research methods, including interviews and participant observation, and archival research.

I have also published about the history of science education, the history of disease standardization, and the history of specimens in  museums and universities.

Since 2010 I’ve taught undergraduates majoring in science and engineering about the history, philosophy, and social studies of science and engineering. These students gain new insights into their majors and future careers. They become more well-rounded and socially-aware researchers, with the potential to improve society by applying their work to social problems.

Recent Publications
Media Coverage
Country Focus
Expertise by Geography
United States, Western Europe
Expertise by Chronology
20th century, 21st century
Expertise by Topic
Higher Ed, Material Culture, Museums, Science, Technology