Education
19th and 20th century US History of Medicine and Public Health, Rural History or Rural Studies, History of Social Sciences
Professional Background
I am a historian of 19th- and 20th-century medicine, interested in the historical intersections of health, medicine, biology, social sciences, institutions, and public policy. Integrative approaches have been central to my education: I earned my B.A. from Hampshire College and my M.A. and Ph.D. in History and Sociology of Science at the University of Pennsylvania (1997). I am working on a book that addresses the significance of place and practice in American medicine by exploring the history of rural health and medical practice in the Upper Midwest, 1900-1950. In addition, I have done extensive research on the history of population studies and demography in the interwar period, and on the history of philanthropy. The University of Minnesota offers a wealth of opportunities for cross-disciplinary collaboration. In the Academic Health Center (AHC), I have been involved with initiatives around interprofessional, community-based education, and in developing a history of the AHC. In the larger university, I am working with faculty in History of Science and Technology, History, Anthropology, Global Studies, and Gender, Women, and Sexuality Studies on projects related to health, biomedicine, global philanthropy, environment, and social issues.
