Maria Rentetzi is a Professor of
History of Science and Technology
The history of science and technology (HST) is a field of history that examines the development of the understanding of the natural world (science) and humans' ability to manipulate it (technology) at different points in time. This academic discip ...
and holds the Chair for Science, Technology and Gender Studies at
Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Germany.
Early life and education
Born in
Kavala
Kavala (, ''Kavála'' ) is a city in northern Greece, the principal seaport of eastern Macedonia and the capital of Kavala regional unit.
It is situated on the Bay of Kavala, across from the island of Thasos and on the A2 motorway, a one-and ...
, Greece, Rentetzi was trained as a physicist at the
Aristotle University of Thessaloniki
The Aristotle University of Thessaloniki ( AUTh; ), often called the University of Thessaloniki, is the second oldest tertiary education institution in Greece. Named after the philosopher Aristotle, who was born in Stageira, about east of Thessa ...
, received her MA in History of Science and Technology from the
National Technical University of Athens
The National (Metsovian) Technical University of Athens (NTUA; , ''National Metsovian Polytechnic''), sometimes known as Athens Polytechnic, a university in Athens, Greece. It is named in honor of its benefactors Nikolaos Stournaris, Eleni Tosi ...
(NTUA), and a PhD in Science and Technology Studies from
Virginia Tech
The Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, commonly referred to as Virginia Tech (VT), is a Public university, public Land-grant college, land-grant research university with its main campus in Blacksburg, Virginia, United States ...
.
' Centaurus: An International Journal of the History of Science and Its Cultural Aspects
Career
Rentetzi was previously a tenured professor at NTUA, a Lise Meitner Fellow of the
Austrian Science Fund
The Austrian Science Fund () is the most important Austrian funding organization for basic research. The FWF supports research in science, engineering, and the humanities through a large variety of grant programmes, prizes and by funding infrastru ...
, a Silverman Professor at
Tel Aviv University's Cohn Institute for the History and Philosophy of Science and Ideas, a guest professor at
TU Berlin
Tu or TU may refer to:
Language
* Tu language
* Tu (cuneiform), a cuneiform sign
* ''tu'' or ''tú'' the 2nd-person singular subject pronoun in many languages; see personal pronoun
* T–V distinction (from the Latin pronouns ''tu'' and ''vos'') ...
, and is currently a visiting scholar at the
Max Planck Institute for the History of Science
The Max Planck Institute for the History of Science (German: Max-Planck-Institut für Wissenschaftsgeschichte) is a scientific research institute founded in March 1994. It is dedicated to addressing fundamental questions of the history of knowled ...
. She is also a past president of the
International Union of the History and Philosophy of Science's Commission of Women and Gender, and a member of the editorial board of the journals ''
History and Technology The relationship between history and technology is multifaceted and complex. History provides context for understanding the development and impact of technology, while technology can shape historical events and societal change. The role of history i ...
'' and ''Centaurus'', among others.
The
European Research Council
The European Research Council (ERC) is a public body for funding of scientific and technological research conducted within the European Union (EU). Established by the European Commission in 2007, the ERC is composed of an independent Scientific ...
(ERC) awarded Rentetzi one of its prestigious "Consolidator Grants" for her work on nuclear diplomacy - the ERC project is called "Living with Radiation: The Role of the
International Atomic Energy Agency
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is an intergovernmental organization that seeks to promote the peaceful use of nuclear technology, nuclear energy and to inhibit its use for any military purpose, including nuclear weapons. It was ...
in the History of
Radiation Protection
Radiation protection, also known as radiological protection, is defined by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) as "The protection of people from harmful effects of exposure to ionizing radiation, and the means for achieving this". Exposu ...
". She is a work package leader within the Horizon 2020 project "InsSciDE - Inventing a Shared Science Diplomacy for Europe", a member of
AcademiaNet
AcademiaNet is an international database containing profiles of women scientists. It is a non-profit project with the goal to raise the share of women in leadership positions in academia. AcademiaNet was initiated in 2010 in Germany by the Robert B ...
for excellent female researchers, and was named the 2021 Gordon Cain Conference Fellow by the
Science History Institute
The Science History Institute is an institution that preserves and promotes understanding of the history of science. Located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, it includes a library, museum, archive, research center and conference center.
It was ...
.
Rentetzi has published widely on the history of radioactivity and the nuclear sciences and on Greece’s history of tobacco culture and technology.
Selected publications
''Seduced By Radium: How Industry Commodified Science in the American Marketplace''(University of Pittsburgh Press, 2022)
“Nuclear Diplomacies,”special issue of ''History and Technology'', 37(1) (2021) (ed. with Kenji Ito)
“The Material Culture and Politics of Artifacts in Nuclear Diplomacy,”special issue of ''Centaurus'', 63 (2) (2021) (ed. with Kenji Ito)
*
Boxes: A Field Guide' (Mattering Press, 2020) (ed. with Susanne Bauer and Martina Schlünder)
* ''Tobacco / 101 notes on oriental tobacco'' (Benaki Museum, 2014) (with Spiros Flevaris)
“Beyond the Academy: Histories of Knowledge and Gender,”special issue of ''Centaurus,'' 55, 2013 (ed. with Christine von Oertzen and Elizabeth S. Watkins)
*
Trafficking Materials and Gendered Experimental Practices: Radium Research in Early Twentieth Century Vienna' (Columbia University Press, 2007)
' Review by Marsha L. Richmond in Journal of the History of Biology 42(3)''Isis'' 95(3) (2004)
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rentetzi, Maria
Historians of science
Greek women historians
Living people
Year of birth missing (living people)
People from Kavala