Skip Navigation

History of Science, Technology, and Medicine

OU Homepage
Search OU
The University of Oklahoma

Skip Carousel Content

Dr. Hale speaking with graduate students Emily Laiben and Goutham Sukumaran

Hyetographic or Rain Map of the World

Photo of the book titled "A New Theory of the Earth" by William Whiston. The left-hand leaf shows a schematic drawing of the solar system with two comets and the orbits of the planets marked out with the sun in the center. All of the orbits, comet paths, and sun are labelled in Latin. On the right-hand leaf are the English words "of the Earth, from its Original, to the Consummation of all Things. Wherein the Creation of the World in Six Days, The Universal Deluge, and the General Conflagration, As laid down in the Holy Scriptures, Are shewn to be perfectly agreeable to Reason and Philosophy. With a large Introductory Discourse concerning the Genuine Nature, Stile, and Extent of the Mosaick History of the Creation. by William Whiston, M.A."

Photo of Professor Soppelsa discussing an early 20th century French postcard image on the large screen to his right

Photo of Professor Pandora talking with a student in the Western History Collections.

Photo of an exhibit of student work. The photo includes a mask that seems like a realistic, partial human face with glasses and a mustache. In the background are two photos, one labeled "Before" of a young man with part of his face disfigured; the other is the same young man wearing the mask. The explanatory text beneath the two photos is: "World War I Facial Prosthetic During World War I, explosions caused by shells led to deadly shrapnel. This fallout resulted in an estimated 20,000 facial injuries. When groundbreaking plastic surgery techniques did not work, facial sculptors stepped in. Anna Coleman Ladd devoted her time during WWI to sculpt facial prosthetics for disfigured soldiers. The prosthetic was created and painted by hand to match each individual person and injury. The mask would cover the facial damage and was attached with small ties around the ears, or more commonly with glasses. Facial hair was also added using real human hair or small strips of tinfoil. This allowed for survivors of war to have a sense of a restored face, close to the one they had before World War I."

Skip Side Navigation

Flyer in sepia tone of earth. The Department of the History of Science, Technology, and Medicine Taylor-Wei Dissertation Fellowship In the History of Meteorology Thanks to a generous gift, the Department of History of Science, Technology, and Medicine of the University of Oklahoma is pleased to announce the 6th Annual Taylor-Wei Dissertation Fellowship. This award, named in honor of the scientific achievements of Dr. Ronald C. Taylor and Dr. Ming-Ying Wei, consists of a $30,000 stipend for one year of research and writing on any topic related to the history of meteorology, climate science, and/or technologies related to those fields, broadly construed. We are interested in supporting social and cultural approaches to weather and climate as well as more technically-focused work. Graduate students from any institution are encouraged to apply. Opportunities will be available for the recipient to take advantage of the unique resources at OU, such as the National Weather Center and associated laboratories and the exceptional History of Science Collections, but there is no residence requirement. Applicants should submit by January 15, 2025 a cv, a proposal of no more than 2500 words, including notes, that outlines the dissertation project and how it would benefit from the award, and a letter of recommendation (submitted separately) from the applicant’s doctoral committee chair or advisor. As the recipient must be ABD by the beginning of the award period, this letter should note when the student passed or is scheduled to take his/her general exams. Application materials should be submitted by email to Professor Hunter Heyck: hheyck@ou.edu We are more than happy to respond to questions from applicants or advisers.

2025 Taylor-Wei Dissertation Fellowship
The Department of the History of Science, Technology, and Medicine Taylor-Wei Dissertation Fellowship In the History of Meteorology (PNG)

Welcome to HSTM!

We are a vibrant and active community of scholars. Interdisciplinary by nature, we bring a vital humanistic and historical perspective to bear in understanding the role of science, technology, and medicine in our complex world.

Our faculty are known internationally through their prolific publications, the extensive editorial work for the discipline’s flagship journals, and their participation in global collaborative projects and committees. Collectively our faculty has expertise ranging across the three fields of the history of science, technology, and medicine. Exciting recent research includes the history of AI, the history of the pregnant body, and evolution in Victorian Britain. We have particular strengths in science and religion, colonial and postcolonial histories of science, medicine, and technology, the history of meteorology and climate science, and the intersection of technology, infrastructure, and the environment.

We are pioneers in innovative teaching methods and provide our students with practical training alongside deep intellectual engagement. Our undergraduate classes encourage students to explore and develop diverse writing and communication skills from the standard long-form capstone paper to blogs, website engagement, and the production of physical and online exhibits. Our students leave our majors well prepared for diverse careers. Many of our students use our majors as launching pads for further study in medicine and allied disciplines. Our graduate programs provide students with rigorous study in the historical understanding of science, technology, and medicine. Our graduates have a successful record of obtaining jobs in the academy, in libraries, and in museums.

The University of Oklahoma is also host to the History of Science Collections and the Isis Bibliography in the History of Science, two important resources for the discipline worldwide.

News

OU HSTM Department attends Midwest Junto / Members of the OU HSTM department recently attended the 66th Midwest Junto for the History of Science at Missouri S&T
Matthew Stanley Presents "Choose your own apocalypse: nuclear war, asteroids, and scientific predictions of the end of the world" / Matthew Stanley presents the Michael Ruby Distinguished Lecture. April 18, 2025, 5:00-6:30pm, Nielsen Hall 170
Mary Fissell Presents "Lurkydish: Rethinking Seventeenth-Century Reproductive Control" / Mary Fissell presents "Lurkydish: Rethinking Seventeenth-Century Reproductive Control," March 31, 2025, 3:30-5:00pm, Harlow Room, Bizzell Library, 5th floor
Rebecca Kaplan Presents "Viral Space: 20th Century Transnational Foot and Mouth Disease Control in North America" / Rebecca Kaplan presents "Viral Space," March 14, 2025, 3:30-5:00pm, Harlow Room, Bizzell Library, 5th floor
David Kaiser Presents "Secret Clocks: The US Military, Einstein’s Relativity, and the Global Positioning System" / David Kaiser presents the Michael Ruby Distinguished Lecture. March 5, 2025, 4:30-6:00pm, Nielsen Hall 270

Full News & Events

HSTM/HMS Friday Morning Coffee and Conversation Flyer. 9:00 A.M. to 11:00 A.M. (ish) during regular academic year. Physical Science Center, 6th Floor Room 626 (Overflow in room 628). Everyone welcome; bring a friend. Dodge Family College of Arts and Sciences Department of History of Science, Technology, and Medicine. The University of Oklahoma. Welcome.

HSTM Friday Morning Coffee and Conversation, 9 AM to 11 AM during the regular academic year