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Shobita Parthasarathy to lead Society for Social Studies of Science
She will advance global STS scholarship, strengthen policy engagement, and promote equitable, responsible innovation worldwide.
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Bhavana P - Sat, 01, Aug 2026
- 15:07 EDT
- 68
Shobita Parthasarathy / University of Michigan
The Society for Social Studies of Science (4S), an international nonprofit association dedicated to advancing research in science and technology studies (STS) has named Indian American scholar Shobita Parthasarathy as president-elect.
Parthasarathy will serve a three-year leadership term - one year as president-elect starting in October 2026, followed by a two-year term as president, from 2027 to 2029.
A professor of public policy and women's and gender studies at the University of Michigan, Parthasarathy serves as director of the university's Science, Technology, and Public Policy Program. Her election places her at the helm of one of the world's leading organizations focused on examining the relationship between science, technology and society.
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In a statement following her election, Parthasarathy said she aims to strengthen the role of STS in addressing pressing global challenges, including the governance of artificial intelligence, declining public trust in expertise, and the future of innovation.
"It's important for STS to inform the most serious questions of our time, from how to manage AI and other emerging technologies to why there is declining trust in expertise," Parthasarathy said.
"Particularly at a moment when the humanities and social sciences are under attack at universities across the world, I believe that 4S can play an important role in supporting colleagues, demonstrating how STS thinking is crucial for societies to realize better futures, and cultivating new STS concepts to meet tomorrow's challenges,” she added.
Parthasarathy's research explores the politics of knowledge and expertise, public policy, and the social and political dimensions of technological innovation. She is the author of Building Genetic Medicine: Breast Cancer, Technology, and the Comparative Politics of Health Care and Patent Politics: Life Forms, Markets, and the Public Interest in the United States and Europe.
Her current book project examines inclusive innovation through the lens of sanitation and menstruation in India.
A longtime member of 4S, Parthasarathy has held several leadership roles within the organization. She previously served as student representative to the 4S Council, helped establish the STSGRAD student network, later served on the council from 2014 to 2017, and has contributed as an editor to leading journals in the field.
Founded in 1975, the Society for Social Studies of Science promotes interdisciplinary scholarship on science, technology and medicine, bringing together researchers and practitioners from around the world.
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