Sheila Jasanoff

Sheila Jasanoff is a Pforzheimer Professor of Science and Technology Studies (STS) at Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government. She is also affiliated with the Department of the History of Science, member of the Board of Tutors in Environmental Science and Public Policy, and visiting professor at Harvard Law School. Before joining Harvard, she was Professor of Science Policy and Law and founding chair of the Department of Science and Technology Studies at Cornell University. She is a significant contributor to the Science and Technology Studies field and was elected to the American Philosophical Society in 2021.

At Harvard, Jasanoff founded and currently directs the Program on Science, Technology, and Society. The Program coordinates a series of activities at and beyond Harvard, including the weekly STS Circle colloquium series, the Science and Democracy lectures, and the Science and Democracy Network, which she also founded. Her research interests center on the interactions of law, science, and politics in democratic societies. She is particularly concerned with the construction of public reason in various cultural contexts and with the role of science and technology in globalization. Her work specifically encompasses areas like the state's role in science, public reasoning in decision-making, and the interaction of science and law.

Jasanoff's research involves the exploration of transnational aspects of significant events, such as the Bhopal disaster, and the politics of global scientific advisory bodies. She has published more than 120 articles and book chapters and authored or edited numerous books. Notable among these are works like "Controlling Chemicals: The Politics of Regulation in Europe and the United States," "Risk Management and Political Culture," "States of Knowledge: The Co-Production of Science and the Social Order," and "Can Science Make Sense of Life?".

Jasanoff’s work has been recognized with many awards and honors, including the 2022 Holberg Prize for her groundbreaking science and technology studies research. Other accolades include the Bernal Prize, the Albert O. Hirschman Prize, an honorary doctorate from the University of Twente, an Ehrenkreuz from the Government of Austria, the Sarton medal in History of Science of the University of Ghent, a Guggenheim Fellowship, and membership in the Royal Danish Academy of Arts and Letters. She is married to Jay H. Jasanoff, and their children, Maya Jasanoff and Alan Jasanoff are professors at Harvard and MIT, respectively.