Dr. Peter Thompson

Biography

Peter Thompson specializes in the history of modern science, technology, and the environment. His scholarly interests include the history of chemistry, technological approaches to environmental problems, and the study of science in relation to fascism. He is increasingly engaged with the emergent field of animal history. His book, 'Gas Mask Interwar Germany: Visions of Chemical Modernity' (Cambridge University Press, 2023), narrates the production and use of gas masks in Germany during the world wars. Focusing on the cultural imagination surrounding a chemically-protected German nation, the book traces the impact of chemical weapons and protective technologies like gas masks on the subjective relationships individuals had with danger, risk, and management in the modern age of mass destruction. His related articles have appeared in 'Historical Studies in Natural Sciences', 'Central European History', 'German Studies Review', and 'History and Technology'. He has received several awards for his articles, including the North Carolina German Studies Seminar’s Konrad Jarausch Essay Prize and the German Studies Association Prize. Before joining Michigan State University, Dr. Thompson earned his PhD in history from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, with his research supported by various esteemed programs including the Fulbright Program. Previously, he held a Haas Postdoctoral Fellowship at the Science History Institute in Philadelphia and taught at MSU’s Lyman Briggs College.

Research Interests

Experience