Jonathan Marks

Jonathan Marks is Professor of Anthropology at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, with previous appointments at Yale and Berkeley. He received his PhD in Anthropology from the University of Arizona (1984), MS in Genetics (1977), and BA in Natural Science from Johns Hopkins University (1975). His research critically examines human origins, biological diversity, and the social dimensions of genetics research.

Research Focus: Specializes in critical analyses of human genetics, evolution, and diversity. Research areas include the historical construction of race in science, epistemological foundations of biological anthropology, and societal implications of genomic research. Work bridges anthropology, history of science, and science studies.

Publication Trends: Recent works critically engage with the history and sociology of racial science, examining visualization techniques in anthropology and reassessing foundational texts. Publications demonstrate consistent attention to scientific racism, methodological critiques of biological determinism, and anthropological perspectives on genetics. Frequent book reviews provide critical commentary on scientific narratives.

Awards & Honors:

• W.W. Howells Book Prize, AAA Biological Anthropology Section (2003)
• J. I. Staley Prize for What It Means to be 98% Chimpanzee (2009)
• First Citizens Bank Scholars Medal, UNCC (2012)
• General Anthropology Division Prize for Cross-Field Scholarship (2012)

Professional Recognition: Elected Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (2006). Held visiting fellowships at ESRC Genomics Forum (Edinburgh), Max Planck Institute for History of Science (Berlin), and Templeton Fellowship at Notre Dame Institute for Advanced Study.