Dr. Janet Vertesi

Biography

Professor Vertesi specializes in the sociology of science, knowledge, and technology, with a primary research focus on NASA's robotic spacecraft teams as an ethnographer. Her notable works include "Seeing Like Rover: Images Interaction Mars Exploration Rover Mission" and "Shaping Science: Organizations, Decisions, Culture NASA's Teams," where she examines the organizations involved in scientific discovery through ethnographic studies of missions to Mars, Saturn, and beyond. Vertesi is also a leader in digital sociology, exploring how computational systems shape social life, and how research methods have shifted online. She holds a Master's degree from Cambridge and a PhD from Cornell, receiving numerous grants from the National Science Foundation and awards from professional sociological associations. Her research addresses questions about the social norms that influence technology development and the interrelation between science and society, offering critical insights into contemporary experiences shaped by these dynamics. Vertesi's work often employs ethnomethodology and she is particularly interested in the relationship between social organization within spacecraft teams and the decision-making processes in scientific work. She has published projects involving urban representations and transnational technology, further solidifying her position as a key figure in the sociology of science and technology.

Research Interests

Experience