Abby Kinchy

Abby Kinchy is a Professor and Department Head in the Department of Science and Technology Studies (STS) at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI), part of the School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences. She leads academic programs in Science, Technology, and Society; Design, Innovation, and Society; and Sustainability Studies, while also contributing to the STS PhD program.

Education:

• Doctor of Philosophy, University of Wisconsin – Sociology and Rural Sociology (2007)
• Master of Science, University of Wisconsin – Sociology and Rural Sociology (2002)
• Bachelor of Science, Vassar College – Science, Technology and Society (1996)

Her research lies at the intersection of science and democracy, focusing on citizen science, environmental justice, and public participation in environmental controversies. She explores how communities use scientific tools to challenge industrial practices, especially in agriculture and fossil fuel extraction. Her work spans soil and water contamination, with a focus on lead and arsenic, and the development of low-cost sensors to empower communities. She leads the Nuestros Suelos/Our Soil project and co-organizes STS Underground, a research network on subterranean technoscience.

Her recent publications reveal a consistent focus on citizen science ethics, environmental monitoring, data transparency, and the sociopolitical dimensions of pollution. Themes include the role of grassroots science in confronting corporate secrecy, the challenges of data sharing in environmental advocacy, and the use of metaphors in energy policy. Her work bridges sociology, environmental science, and public policy.

Scientific Awards:

• No awards listed in the provided text.

Dr. Kinchy actively mentors students at both undergraduate and graduate levels. She has chaired multiple PhD dissertations in STS on topics ranging from underground archaeology to plastic alternatives and digital mindfulness. She also collaborates with students on research projects and advises senior theses. While no specific grants are listed, her leadership of multi-year research initiatives like the Watershed Knowledge Mapping Project and sensor development efforts at RPI suggests active grant funding. She teaches courses such as Science and Technology Policy, Community-Engaged STS, Food, Farms, and Famine, and Investigating Society.

She is involved in collaborative research teams, including the Shale Network and interdisciplinary teams at RPI working on environmental sensor technologies. Her work emphasizes community-engaged, interdisciplinary approaches to environmental problems.