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Science, Technology, Health & Society

1500 N. Warner St. #1031
Tacoma, WA 98416-1031

253.879.5901

Director

Kristin Johnson
253-879-3912

Administrative Support

Soph Kobernusz-Gibbs

Program Description

How does society affect the development of science, technology, and health systems? How do science and medicine interact with religion and philosophy in shaping our worldview? How do science, medicine, economics, and social values interact in contemporary decision making?

The Science, Technology, Health, and Society (STHS) Program offers an interdisciplinary major and minor that focuses on the history, philosophy, and sociology of science, technology, and health. STHS courses encourage students to consider how science, technology, and health are linked to all aspects of human experience, including economics, politics, and religion. Faculty from more than a dozen different disciplines within and outside of the sciences participate in Science, Technology, Health, and Society.

 

Who You Could Be

  • Educator
  • Lawyer
  • Health sciences professional
  • Curator
  • Science communicator or writer
  • Nonprofit administrator
Shelby Kantner
Alumni
Shelby Kantner '19

"A Science, Technology, and Society degree, especially one focused on health and society, is valuable for understanding how social, cultural, political, technological, and economic factors influence health and well-being. STHS courses encourage students to examine health issues from multiple angles, considering factors beyond just biology and medicine. In the real world, this broad perspective fosters creative problem-solving and helps you develop innovative solutions to complex problems. The interdisciplinary nature of the major also prepares students well for careers and graduate studies in a wide range of health-related fields."

What You'll Learn

  • About the history, philosophy, and sociology of science, technology, health, and society (STHS)
  • Qualitative and quantitative analytical skills that apply to real-world problems
  • How to communicate complex ideas about science, technology, and health to diverse audiences
  • How to assess and make evidence-based arguments relevant to science and health policy

 

Sample Courses
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Benjamin Disraeli described the question placed before society by Charles Darwin's work as follows: "Is man an ape or an angel?" This course examines the development of evolutionary thinking during the nineteenth century and the resulting debates over the "Descent of Man." It explores the relationship between Darwin's theory of evolution and the social, political and religious history of Britain and the British Empire in the nineteenth century. The course serves as an introduction to analyzing the interactions between science and society, with particular attention to how Darwin's theory intersected with debates over God, Science, Empire, Ethics, Race, Gender, Economics, and Politics.

Code
Social Scientific and Historical Perspectives

Students in this course analyze the history of the physical and biological sciences since 1800, paying special attention to the reciprocal relationship between scientific knowledge and social context. Beginning with the social and intellectual upheaval of the French and Haitian Revolutions, this course highlights how an historical approach can inform our understanding of the triumphs and tragedies of scientific and technological development. Subjects of the course may include creationism, natural theology, evolution, the origin and demise of the electromagnetic worldview, atomic theory, big science, and genetics.

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Social Scientific and Historical Perspectives

Why do people commit crimes and what role does forensic science play in determining who is culpable? Using a historical approach, this course examines the development of forensic science and criminology. It focuses on the history of forensic medicine and psychology, fingerprinting, toxicology, blood typing, DNA evidence as well as the role of expert witnesses in homicide investigations. It also includes a discussion of the legal issues surrounding what constitutes admissible evidence and how that has changed over time.

Code
Connections 200-400 Level

This course surveys the history of medicine in the United States, guided by the following questions: How and why did a particular way of understanding the body, health, and medicine become established as "scientific medicine" in the U.S.? What role have alternative understandings of health and disease played in challenging the status and assumptions of biomedical approaches? How has "progress in medicine" been defined, by whom, and for whom? What political, social, and cultural histories are needed to understand both historical and present-day health inequities in healthcare? How do we develop a narrative of the past that acknowledges both the historical triumphs and tragedies of the U.S. healthcare and medical system and why should we try? How can studying this history improve medical practice, institutions, and education, including provider-patient relationships?

Code
Knowledge, Identity, and PowerSocial Scientific and Historical Perspectives
Katie Johnson (Handick) '20
Alumni
Katie Johnson (Handick) '20

“I would recommend the STHS Program to anyone who wants to learn how to think in a way that will maximize their success in the real world. We graduate and enter into a world where rarely an answer is clear or undisputed, but rather requires us to wade through debate, interpretation, and opinion. Then we are charged to craft logic and decision from that grey area. In my STS classes I learned how to synthesize conflicting historical accounts, make sense of complex ethical theories, and realize connections between bodies of knowledge as polarizing as science and religion. Most importantly, I was then equipped to move forward from the bubble of discourse and take action to create solutions and defend opinions in tangible ways. I use these skills every single day as a tax attorney, a career that seemingly has no relation to the substantive topics you encounter in STS, but I cannot imagine feeling more prepared for this work by any other major.”

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Experiential Learning

A sampling of STHS experiential coursework and research:

  • Students designed and created an exhibit on electrical science
  • Students designed a role-playing game set in the Wild West
  • Students developed a program to help campus reduce energy consumption
  • Students designed a course on social justice and STEM
  • Summer research grants, like Eva Langenthal '26, "FDR and the disability politics of the 1930s"

STORIES

Read more about The Species Maker
Faculty

The Species Maker

As a professor of science, technology, and society, Kristin Johnson has interests ranging from conservation biology to the history of science and religion. She’s also a prolific writer whose newest book is set against the…
Read more about Staying Out of Hot Water
Campus
Students

Staying Out of Hot Water

Student researchers Shelby Kantner ’18 and Matthew Gulick ’18 want you to know that for each gallon of hot water in those millions of daily showers, the heating fuel used sends 1.92 pounds of carbon dioxide into our…
Read more about Spark of Discovery
Faculty
Arches

Spark of Discovery

As an assistant professor in the Science, Technology, and Society (STS) Program at Puget Sound, Amy teaches interdisciplinary courses that examine the social, political, and cultural contexts around research experiments…

Where Our Graduates Work

Our alumni work at:

  • USAID, Population & Reproductive Health (program assistant)
  • Public Library of Science (publications assistant)
  • EverGreen Escapes (naturalist guide)
  • Aspen Global Change Institute (program assistant)
  • Neighborcare Health (school-based health center coordinator)

Learn more about what graudates do After Puget Sound

Where Our Graduates Continue Studying

Our alumni continue their studies at:

  • University of British Columbia (science and technology)
  • Brown University (science, technology, and society)
  • Johns Hopkins University (nursing)
  • University of Michigan (Master of Public Health)
  • Oregon State University (Mater of Public Policy and Management; History of Science)
Meet the Faculty
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David Latimer
Professor and Chair, Physics

Prof. Latimer's research interests primarily lie in nuclear and particle theory, with an emphasis on neutrino phenomenology, and in novel ways to assess the particle properties of dark matter.

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Douglas Sackman
Professor and Chair, History

In both teaching and research, Prof. Sackman examines Native American, Western, Pacific Northwest, and environmental history. He has authored numerous books and teaches first-year seminars and advanced classes.

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Hajung Lee
Associate Professor, Religion, Spirituality, and Society and Bioethics

With research focused on end-of-life decision-making by ethnic minority immigrants, Prof. Lee teaches courses in both the religious studies department and Bioethics Program.

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Justin Tiehen
Professor, Philosophy

Prof. Tiehen teaches a wide range of courses and focuses his research on the philosophy of mind, consciousness, causation, and rationality.

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Kristin Johnson
Professor and Director, Science, Technology, Health, and Society

Prof. Johnson focuses on the history of the life sciences and the relationship between science and religion since the 17th century, with special interest in the naturalist tradition of the 19th and 20th centuries.

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Johanna Crane
Professor, Chemistry

Prof. Crane's research focuses on the design, synthesis, and characterization of novel inorganic materials such as metal-organic frameworks, metal-containing polymers, and metallogels.

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Amy Fisher
Associate Professor, Science, Technology, Health, and Society

Prof. Fishers' research focuses on the history and philosophy of the physical sciences, science education, and the relationship between science and gender.

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Bryan Thines
Professor and Associate Chair, Biology

In his research, Prof. Thines uses molecular genetic and functional genomic approaches to understand how plant cells respond to environmental stress. He teaches biology at all levels.

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Benjamin Lewin
Professor and Chair, Sociology and Anthropology, and Director, Public Health

Prof. Lewin specializes in medical sociology, which has led him to research focusing on pharmaceutical advertising and home-visit programs for elderly people. His classes include introductory and specialized courses.

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