Jane Maienschein (born September 23, 1950 in

Tennessee Tennessee ( , ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked state in the Southeastern region of the United States. Tennessee is the 36th-largest by area and the 15th-most populous of the 50 states. It is bordered by Kentucky to th ...

, US) is an American professor and director of the Center for Biology and Society at Arizona State University.

Education

Maienschein was admitted to the

Massachusetts Institute of Technology The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is a private land-grant research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Established in 1861, MIT has played a key role in the development of modern technology and science, and is one of the ...

, later transferred to

Yale University Yale University is a Private university, private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the List of Colonial Colleges, third-oldest institution of higher education in the United Sta ...

in 1969 where she was a member of

Manuscript Society Manuscript Society is a senior society at Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut. Toward the end of each academic year 16 rising seniors are inducted into the society, which meets twice weekly for dinner and discussion. Manuscript is reputedly ...

. In 1972, she graduated with honors in History, the Arts, and Letters. She then attended

Indiana University Indiana University (IU) is a system of public universities in the U.S. state of Indiana. Campuses Indiana University has two core campuses, five regional campuses, and two regional centers under the administration of IUPUI. *Indiana Universi ...

to conduct her Ph.D work. Her mentor, Dr. Frederick Churchill, was interested in historical embryological research. Maienschein was awarded a Fellowship at the Smithsonian, to study the history of microscopy. The

National Science Foundation The National Science Foundation (NSF) is an independent agency of the United States government that supports fundamental research and education in all the non-medical fields of science and engineering. Its medical counterpart is the National ...

provided funding for her dissertation. Maienschein became involved with the Marine Biological Laboratory, in Woods Hole, Massachusetts, to research historical

embryology Embryology (from Greek ἔμβρυον, ''embryon'', "the unborn, embryo"; and -λογία, ''-logia'') is the branch of animal biology that studies the prenatal development of gametes (sex cells), fertilization, and development of embryos ...

morphogenesis Morphogenesis (from the Greek ''morphê'' shape and ''genesis'' creation, literally "the generation of form") is the biological process that causes a cell, tissue or organism to develop its shape. It is one of three fundamental aspects of deve ...

and cellular differentiation. Maienschein researched the history and philosophy of developmental biology as well as issues surrounding stem cell research and

regenerative medicine Regenerative medicine deals with the "process of replacing, engineering or regenerating human or animal cells, tissues or organs to restore or establish normal function". This field holds the promise of engineering damaged tissues and organs by st ...

.Embryo Project Encyclopedia Editorial Team, "Jane Maienschein", 2008,

, December 22, 2010

Work

Maienschein focuses on the social, political, and legal contexts of scientific research and is currently the director of the Center for Biology and Society, at Arizona State University, which states the goal of "promoting exploration of conceptual foundations and historical development of the biosciences and their diverse interactions with society." To quote the CBS, "We engage in activities across multiple disciplines that allow opportunities for intellectual ferment and increased impact by creating research and educational collaborations and communication." Maienschein and colleague Manfred Laubichler are particularly interested in evolutionary developmental biology. The School of Life Sciences has received millions of dollars from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute to develop the

School of Life Sciences A school is an educational institution designed to provide learning spaces and learning environments for the teaching of students under the direction of teachers. Most countries have systems of formal education, which is sometimes compul ...

Undergraduate Research (SOLUR) program, a research program. Maienschein served as the first president for the

International Society for the History, Philosophy, and Social Studies of Biology The International Society for the History, Philosophy, and Social Studies of Biology (ISHPSSB) is an international academic organization founded in 1989. It is the largest and most important meeting for the fields of philosophy of biology, hist ...

in 1989–1991 and served as president of the

History of Science Society The History of Science Society (HSS) is the primary professional society for the academic study of the history of science. It was founded in 1924 by George Sarton, David Eugene Smith, and Lawrence Joseph Henderson, primarily to support the publi ...

. She is Director of The Embryo Project Encyclopedia, along with Dr. Manfred Laubichler.

Recognition

Maienschein is Regents' Professor and President's Professor at Arizona State University's School of Life Sciences.Professor named Top in Arizona, Recognized Nationally
Arizona State University (November 19, 2010). In 2000, Maienschein received the Joseph H. Hazen Education Prize from the

. Maienschein has created the Biology and Society; Bioethics, Policy, and Law; The History and Philosophy of Science; Ecology, Economics, Ethics and Environment; The Embryo Project Encyclopedia, ASU's Bioethics in Films Series, Responsible Conduct in Research and the History of Biology projects held at the

Marine Biological Laboratory The Marine Biological Laboratory (MBL) is an international center for research and education in biological and environmental science. Founded in Woods Hole, Massachusetts, in 1888, the MBL is a private, nonprofit institution that was independent ...

. She is also the first president of the

(ISHPSSB). Maienschein is a Fellow of the

Association for Women in Science The Association for Women in Science (AWIS) was founded in 1971 at the annual Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB) meeting. The organization aims to combat job discrimination, lower pay, and professional isolation. The ...

(AWIS) and AAAS, has served two terms as a board member for national AWIS in Washington, D.C. She has published over 20 articles and several books as shown on her CV. She was published in

the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy The ''Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy'' (''SEP'') combines an online encyclopedia of philosophy with peer-reviewed publication of original papers in philosophy, freely accessible to Internet users. It is maintained by Stanford University. Eac ...

on " Epigenesis and

Preformation In the history of biology, preformationism (or preformism) is a formerly popular theory that organisms develop from miniature versions of themselves. Instead of assembly from parts, preformationists believed that the form of living things exis ...

". Maienschein wrote "Whose View of Life?: Embryos, Cloning, and Stem Cells". Maienschein and Manfred Laubichler collaborated to co-write: "From Embryology to Evo-Devo: A History of Developmental Evolution" and Form and Function in Developmental Evolution. In 2009, Maienschein presented, with

Tedx Talks TED Conferences, LLC (Technology, Entertainment, Design) is an American-Canadian non-profit media organization that posts international talks online for free distribution under the slogan "ideas worth spreading". TED was founded by Richard Sau ...

on "Stem Cells, Regenerative Medicine and Us". In November 2010, Maienschein was named the 2010 Arizona Professor of the Year, by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching and the

Council for Advancement and Support of Education The Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) is a nonprofit association of educational institutions. It serves professionals in the field of educational advancement. This field encompasses alumni relations, communications, marketin ...

References

External links

The Embryo Project Encyclopedia

School of Life Sciences: Jane Maienschein

The Center for Biology and Society at ASU
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Maienschein, Jane Developmental biologists Arizona State University faculty Yale University alumni American women scientists American philosophers American women philosophers Living people 1950 births Philosophers of biology Place of birth missing (living people) Massachusetts Institute of Technology alumni Indiana University alumni People from Tennessee Fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science Historians of science Evolutionary biologists American women academics 21st-century American women