Denise Phillips

Denise Phillips is an Associate Professor, Associate Head, and Director of Undergraduate Studies in the Department of History at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. She holds a Ph.D. from Harvard University (2004) and a B.A. from Duke University (1996). Her research focuses on the history of science, 18th- and 19th-century Germany, and the cultural dimensions of Enlightenment thought. She has been supported by grants from the Fulbright Commission, German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), National Science Foundation, and Fritz Thyssen Foundation.

Her major publications include Acolytes of Nature: Defining Natural Science in Germany, 1770–1850 (2012) and co-edited volumes such as New Perspectives on the History of Life Sciences and Agriculture (2015). Current projects include a book on Jacob Guyer, an Enlightenment-era peasant figure central to debates about technology and morality, and comparative studies of scientific concepts across German and Anglo-American contexts.

Her research spans historical epistemology, the role of agriculture in Enlightenment discourse, and the intersections of science with cultural and political movements. She has explored topics ranging from the history of experimentation to the reception of scientific ideas across Europe and the U.S.

Grants & Funding: Fulbright Commission, DAAD, NSF, Fritz Thyssen Foundation

Labs/Teams: Collaborates on interdisciplinary projects in the history of science, including co-editing initiatives and international research networks focusing on agricultural science and Enlightenment historiography.