Contrary to what some might think, given that CHF emphasizes the history of chemistry rather than any other discipline, we do like sociologists. After last year’s wonderful input to the scholarly community by the 2008-09 Haas fellow David Schleifer (whose intricate thoughts on trans fats and the food industry continue to appear in various forms at CHF—let me just mention an upcoming podcast episode and a Chemical Heritage article), we welcome Annalisa Salonius among us this year.

Her account does much more than just reiterate statistics: she uses, among other things, ethnographic methods to see how these research labs fit into their university setting and how they have influenced the way biomedical researchers have been trained in the United States and Canada. Our oral history collections are key to the journey of discovery upon which Annalisa has embarked as our postdoctoral Cain fellow. And she has let me know that she considers the scholarly community at CHF not only fresh, interdisciplinary, and engaging, but also a unique opportunity for her to flex her scholarly muscles.

Annalisa: In The Office

When not curled up in her office with a good oral history, Annalisa likes to explore Philly on foot and taste the delicious food that is around not only during Restaurant Week. Here’s to a delightful fellowship year!