Pamela H. Smith, Chair (On Leave in 2023-24)

Pamela H. Smith (Chair) is the Seth Low Professor of History at Columbia University and founding director of the Center for Science and Society. At Columbia, she teaches history of early modern Europe and the history of science. She is the author of The Business of Alchemy: Science and Culture in the Holy Roman Empire (Princeton, 1994; 1995 Pfizer Prize), The Body of the Artisan: Art and Experience in the Scientific Revolution (Chicago, 2004; 2005 Leo Gershoy Prize), and From Lived Experience to the Written Word (Chicago, 2022). Her work on alchemy, artisans, and the making of vernacular and scientific knowledge has been recognized by grants, awards, and fellowships from foundations, institutions, and federal agencies in both the humanities and the sciences. 

Pamela Smith is chair of the Presidential Scholars in Society and Neuroscience Steering Committee.