On May 1, the Department of Science and Technology Studies (STS) became the latest addition to the Faculty of Science at York University.
While the department is new to the Faculty of Science, STS has deep and enduring roots in the University. Originally championed by the late Professor Richard Jarrell, who died suddenly on Dec. 28, 2013, York Professor Ernst Hamm has now assumed the role of chair of the STS program.
“We are delighted that this day has finally arrived,” says Don Hastie, interim dean of the Faculty of Science. “The Department of Science and Technology Studies is an essential part of our interdisciplinary learning approach for students interested in social, cultural, philosophical, and material dimensions of science and technology. This is a major milestone for the Faculty of Science and we are excited to see what the future holds for the department.”
The new department now includes the Natural Science Division, which continues to play a crucial role in general education at York University and has core faculty based in the Faculty of Science as well as colleagues from other faculties who participate in its teaching and research activities.
STS offers interdisciplinary programs and provides several routes to a BA or a BSc degree. Students can expect to learn and analyze complex scientific and technological ideas, and discover how to trace the origins and implications of events and patterns of thought in the past and present.
For more information, visit the Science & Technology Studies website.