Dr. David Serlin

Professor

Build a Statement of Purpose

Generate a tailored SOP for Dr. David Serlin. Improve your application with a focused, well-structured draft.

Biography

David Serlin is a Professor of Communication at UC San Diego, where he is also core faculty in the Science Studies Program and affiliated faculty in the Critical Gender Studies Program. His research explores the intersections of disability, technology, and culture, focusing on historical cultural approaches, politics, and design within architecture, urbanism, and the built environment. Serlin's work addresses material culture and historical narratives within museums and archives, as well as the scientific and aesthetic histories related to the senses, particularly touch and smell. He engages with feminist, crip, and queer theories to examine embodiment, experience, and subjectivity. A fellow of the American Academy in Rome (FAAR '21) awarded the Rome Prize in Architecture in 2020, Serlin has published extensively. His notable books include 'Replaceable Engineering Body in Postwar America' and 'Artificial Parts, Practical Lives: Modern Histories of Prosthetics'. He is also an editor for the online journal Catalyst: Feminism, Theory, Technoscience and contributes to Cabinet, an art and culture journal. In addition to his academic work, Serlin has authored children's literature, such as the New York Times bestselling reader 'Baby Monkey, Private Eye'.

Research Interests

Disability Studies Cultural Studies Science and Technology Studies Feminist Theory Queer Theory

Courses

Advanced Approaches to Science Studies American Television of the 1970s Architecture and Communication Historical Methods in Communication Communication Research Introduction to LGBTQ Studies Media Archaeology Politics and Bodies Public History Museum Studies Sensory Studies Touch and Communication Visual Culture

Requirements for University of California, San Diego

Doctorate Program
Requirements
GPA Requirement
Required:3
TOEFL
Total
Required:85
IELTS
Overall
Required:7
Duolingo
Overall Score
Required:120
Overall
Required:120
Prerequisites
Bachelor's degree in physical, biological, or earth sciences, mathematics, or engineering. Differential and integral calculus. One year of calculus-based physics with laboratory. One year of chemistry with laboratory.
Application Checklist
  • Statement of Purpose (max 2 pages)
  • Unofficial transcripts
  • Three letters of recommendation
  • Curriculum Vitae (CV)
  • Application fee ($135 domestic / $155 international)
Specialization Notes

Administered by the Scripps Institution of Oceanography. Curricular groups include Climate-Ocean-Atmosphere (COAP), Geosciences (GEO), and Ocean Biosciences (OBP).