Kate Dorsch, PhD

Associate Director, PPE
Pre-major Advisor in the College
312 Claudia Cohen Hall

PhD, History and Sociology of Science, UPenn HSS, 2019

BA, History, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, 2012

I am an interdisciplinary scholar in the history, philosophy, and sociology of science and technology. My work focuses on knowledge-making and expertise, asking "what do we think we know, and how and why do we think we know it?" and "why do we trust the people we trust?" My dissertation (currently being spun up into a book manuscript) explored the history of the scientific study of UFOs, looking specifically at professional scientists and military programs. 

My advising philosophy puts undergraduates first. I see you as junior colleagues! I look forward to helping you develop and refine your interests and hope to challenge you to always take your work to that next level. 

Selected Publications: 
Courses Taught: 

STSC 001: The Emergence of Modern Science

STSC 110: Science and Literature

STSC 208: Science and Religion

STSC 212: Science, Technology and War

STSC 270: Digital Democracy

STSC 321: Weird Science

Affiliations: 

Member, History of Science Society

Member, Philosophy of Science Association

Member, Society for Literature, Science, and the Arts