Troy, N.Y. — Langdon Winner, professor of science and technology studies (STS) at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, has been appointed to the newly endowed Thomas Phelan Chair in the School of Humanities and Social Sciences.

The chair was created in honor of Thomas Phelan, former dean of the School of Humanities and Social Sciences (H&SS) from 1972 to 1994. Phelan, an ordained priest and Troy native, is known for his studies of the industrial history, architecture, and civic culture of the Hudson Mohawk region. Phelan is Professor Emeritus, and currently serving as Rensselaer’s Institute Dean and Historian.

According to John Harrington, dean of the School of  Humanities and Social Sciences, recipients of the Thomas Phelan Endowed Chair in the Humanities and Social Sciences will be those who have been recognized as outstanding scholars who have contributed significantly to the study and understanding of the relationship of material culture to the history and development of society. Material culture includes architecture, technology, science, and industry.

“Dr. Langdon Winner is a scholar of political science and an expert in the politics of technology.  His long and distinguished record as a senior scholar, prolific writer, and highly regarded public intellectual makes him the ideal individual to assume this position,” said Harrington. “In this arena, his work has great relevance to Dean Phelan’s enduring interests in design and regional history.”

Winner, an H&SS faculty member for 20 years explores, the ways in which technological choices express major developments in political society. His books, including Autonomous Technology and The Whale and the Reactor, explore the controversial claim that “artifacts have politics” and that conditions of power, justice, freedom, and community life are strongly present in what may seem to be “neutral” technical systems.

Prior to being named to the Thomas Phelan Chair, Winner served as director of graduate studies in STS, and is now the co-director of the Center for Cultural Design in H&SS.

“I hope the opportunities presented by the Phelan Chair will serve as a catalyst for increasing faculty involvement with social, ethical, and policy questions about today’s technological choices,” said Winner. An important part of his work, Winner noted, is to reach out to the public, press, and leaders in community and businesses, and include them in discussions that are crucial to the future of upstate New York. “Many of the issues that concern faculty and students at Rensselaer — economy, environment, security, and the direction of society as a whole — are exactly the ones that engage people in every corner of this region,” he said. “We need to listen to each other, identify problems, and seek better solutions.”

As the Thomas Phelan Chair, Winner says additional priorities will include serving as a bridge builder between all five schools at Rensselaer through the development of courses, research projects, lecture series, and faculty seminars. “I want to build upon the strong tradition of scholarship established by Thomas Phelan, especially its focus upon technology and the quality of everyday life.”

A native of San Luis Obispo, Calif., Winner earned his doctoral degree, master’s degree, and bachelor’s degree in political science at the University of California in Berkeley, Calif. He lectures widely in the U.S. and Europe and holds visiting professorships in Madrid, Spain and Shenyang, China.

About Thomas Phelan
Thomas Phelan came to Rensselaer in 1959 when he was appointed resident Roman Catholic chaplain. Phelan has a long legacy of achievements accomplished at Rensselaer. He served as treasurer of the Rensselaer Newman Foundation, a non profit educational corporation, and led the effort to create the Chapel + Cultural Center, a building that would be available for use by all and used “all the time.” Now in its 40th year, C+CC is a venue for a range of activities including, exhibitions and performances, foreign student gatherings, weddings of every denomination, and is home to the Christ Sun of Justice University Parish. Phelan served as dean of the School of Humanities and Social Sciences from 1972-1994, during which time he is credited with overseeing the renovation of Russell Sage Laboratory to bring H&SS onto the main campus, and encouraging the faculty to focus on linking technological education with the humanities. He was appointed Institute Dean and Historian in 1995. Phelan is the co-author of Rensselaer, Where Imagination Achieves the Impossible, an illustrated history of Rensselaer. 

About the Department of Science and Technology
The interdisciplinary field of STS examines and influences how society shapes science and technology, and how, in turn, science and technology shape society and the environment. One of the first universities to offer B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. degrees in STS, Rensselaer is a national leader in developing STS academic programs.

Contact: Jessica Otitigbe
Phone: (518) 276-6050
E-mail: otitij@rpi.edu