Professor Brad Nelson at the Institue of Robotics and Intelligent Systems operates an Octomag - an instrument whose eight electromagnetic coils permit maneuvering micro-robots through the eye to deliver drugs to the retina.

David Gugerli

David Gugerli is a Professor in the Department of Humanities, Social and Political Sciences, ETH Zurich

Professor Gugerli is interested in the fields of the history of technology and science, social and economic history and cultural history. Currently he is doing research on the technological implementation of human capital theory 1960-2000, the history of computerized database technologies, and the history of knowledge in the reinsurance industries in the 19th and 20th centuries.

Curriculum Vitae

Born

Switzerland

Professional Background

  • Undergraduate studies in history, the history of literature, and literary criticism at the University of Zurich
  • Doctorate Modern History, University of Zurich 1987
  • Guest researcher at the Maison des Sciences de l-Homme in Paris
  • Visiting Professor at the Colegio de México in Mexico City
  • Visiting Scholar at Stanford University in Palo Alto
  • Visiting Fellow at the International Research Center for Cultural Sciences in Vienna
  • Fellow at the Wissenschaftskolleg zu Berlin 1993–1994
  • Research Professor Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México 1995-1997
  • Assistant Professor for the history of technology 1997-2001
  • Full Professor for the history of technology in the Institute for History at ETH Zurich 2001-present
Achievements

Major Awards

  • Fellow Institute for Advanced Study Berlin 1993-1994
  • Venia legendi (Habilitation), University of Zurich 1995
  • Rudolf Kellerman Prize for the History of Technology 1995
  • Berlin Brandenburg Academy of Sciences Prize 1997
  • Award of the Swiss Academy for Humanities and Social Sciences 1997
  • Best of Swiss Web in Public Affairs for www.ethistory.ch 2006
  • Rector's Guest at Institute for Advanced Study Berlin 2006
  • Prize of and Senior Fellow at the Zukunftskolleg Konstanz 2008-2009

Recent Publications

  • Transforming the Future. ETH Zurich and the Construction of Modern Switzerland 1855-2005. Chronos Verlag, Zurich. 2010 David Gugerli, et al.
  • Das Monster und die Schablone. Zur Logistik von Daten um 1950. Traverse Zeitschrift für Geschichte 3, Chronos Verlag, Zürich, 66-76. 2009
  • Suchmaschinen. Die Welt als Datenbank. Suhrkamp Verlag: Frankfurt am Main 2009
  • Kybernetisierung der Hochschule. Zur Genese des universären Managements, in: Erich Hörl und Michael Hagner (Hg.): Die Transformation des Humanen. Beiträge zur Kulturgeschichte der Kybernetik, Suhrkamp: Frankfurt am Main 414-439. 2008
  • Editor for Interferenzen. Studien zur Kulturgeschichte der Technik (18 volumes) 1999-present
  • Co-editor for Nach Feierabend. Jahrbuch für die Geschichte des Wissens

Key Memberships

  • Scientific Board of Centro Stefano Franscini at Monte Verità 2005-2008
  • Scientific Board New Europe College Bucharest 2008-2011
  • ETH Research Commission 2001-2006
  • Founding Member Center for the History of Knowledge (ETH and University of Zurich) 2004-present
  • Board Max Frisch Foundation 2008-present
  • Scientific Board of Memoriav, President 2008
  • Board of the Department for the Humanities and the Social Sciences at ETH 2003-2011 Dean Department for the Humanities and the Social Sciences at ETH 2006-2009
  • Chair Strategy Commission ETH Zurich 2009-present