Distinguished Professor Award, 2024
College of Liberal Arts
Jan Golinski is the embodiment of what a professor ought to be: erudite, open-minded and an internationally respected scholar who is constantly expanding his students’ horizons and is committed to service at the university and beyond.
Jan came to UNH in 1990 with a Ph.D. in history and philosophy of science from the University of Leeds. He quickly published the first of his four monographs, Science as Public Culture: Chemistry and Enlightenment in Britain, 1760-1820 with Cambridge University Press. Since then, he has published three more monographs on such subjects as the construction of scientific knowledge, enlightenment thinking about climate and the scientific evolution of Sir Humphry Davy. The influence of his scholarship is evident in the many invitations he receives to speak at conferences around the world and his recent term as the president of the History of Science Society.
Jan’s students describe his courses as challenging, engaging and accessible. His Discovery courses on the history of science are highly sought after. His advanced courses on such subjects as climate and magic drew some of our best students, and his course on historiography shaped two generations of honors and graduate students. As one student noted: “Not only a great teacher of science, but the kind of professor who pushes you to question all previous knowledge as well as the possibilities of tomorrow.” For his excellence as a teacher and scholar, he won the Lindberg Award from the College of Liberal Arts in 2012, and his colleagues have long regarded him as a distinguished professor in every way.
Jan’s profound impact as a scholar, educator and mentor exemplifies the highest standards of academic excellence, leaving a lasting legacy at UNH and beyond.
About this Award
The purpose of this award is to identify and honor longstanding members of the UNH faculty. This singular university-wide award will be given each year to the faculty member whose overall record of excellent teaching, caring about students, devotion to the university community, and substantial record of scholarly achievement exemplifies what we would call a "distinguished longstanding career" at UNH. Each year there will be no more than one Distinguished Professor Award. Long-term UNH tenure-track faculty members at the rank of professor are eligible.
