Dr. Jessica Riskin

Professor

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Biography

Jessica Riskin is the Frances Charles Field Professor in the History Department at Stanford University, with prior teaching positions at MIT, Iowa State University, and Sciences Po in Paris. She received her B.A. from Harvard University and her Ph.D. from the University of California at Berkeley. Her research focuses on early modern science, political culture, and the history of scientific explanation. Riskin is the author of 'Science in the Age of Sensibility: The Sentimental Empiricists of the French Enlightenment' (2002) and 'The Restless Clock: A History of the Centuries-Long Debate over Whether Living Things are Machines' (2016), among other works. She has received several accolades for her contributions to history, including the Patrick Suppes Prize from the American Philosophical Society in 2021. Riskin has been actively involved in editorial boards and organizational committees related to history and science, reflecting her commitment to the interdisciplinary study and dissemination of historical knowledge.

Research Interests

Experience

Frances Charles Field Professor

— Present

Stanford University • Stanford, California

Holding the endowed professorship in the History Department.

Director

— Present

France-Stanford Center for Interdisciplinary Studies • Stanford, California

Leading interdisciplinary research and collaboration between France and Stanford.

Vice Chair

— Present

History Department, Stanford University • Stanford, California

Oversaw departmental affairs and academic programs.

Professor

— Present

History Department, Stanford University • Stanford, California

Conducting research and teaching within the history department.

Associate Professor

— Present

History Department, Stanford University • Stanford, California

Facilitating advanced research and graduate teaching.

Assistant Professor

— Present

History Department, Stanford University • Stanford, California

Engaged in undergraduate teaching and curriculum development.

Assistant Professor

— Present

Iowa State University • Ames, Iowa

Taught courses in history and contributed to academic committees.

Postdoctoral Fellow

— Present

Dibner Institute for the History of Science • Cambridge, Massachusetts

Conducted independent research in the history of science.

Awards

#

J. Russell Major Prize

#

Patrick Suppes Prize in History of Science

Requirements for Stanford University

Doctorate Program
Requirements
GPA Requirement
Required:3.5
TOEFL
Listening
Required:26
Reading
Required:26
Writing
Required:26
Speaking
Required:26
Total
Required:100
GRE General
Verbal
Required:160
Quantitative
Required:165
Analytical Writing
Required:4.5
Overall
Required:4.5
Prerequisites
Bachelor degree from an accredited institution Strong background in mathematics and programming
Application Checklist
  • Statement of Purpose
  • Three letters of recommendation
  • Official transcripts
  • Resume/CV
Specialization Notes

The Computer Science department emphasizes research potential. GRE General is currently optional but recommended for some tracks.