Emily Klancher Merchant

Emily Klancher Merchant is an Associate Professor in the Social Sciences and Humanities department at the University of California, Davis. Her research explores the intersection of science, technology, and social sciences, with a focus on eugenics, genomics, and human measurement.

Education:

• Ph.D., History, University of Michigan, 2015
• M.A., History, University of Michigan, 2005
• B.A., History, Pomona College, 2001

Research Focus: Merchant's work combines archival research, oral history, and computational methods to examine the history of eugenics, the role of social sciences in genomics, and technologies of human measurement. Her current project, Molecular Eugenics, analyzes the legacy of eugenic thought in modern genetic counseling and assisted reproductive technologies.

Publications: Her research spans topics like population control, environmental history, and computational approaches in demography, appearing in journals such as Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences and Population Research and Policy Review.

Scientific Awards:

• Dean's Faculty Fellowship, 2023-2025
• Merle Curti Intellectual History Book Award, 2022
• Otis Dudley Duncan Book Award
• Hellman Fellowship, 2020
• James Madison Prize, 2017
• National Science Foundation Grant, 2012

Teaching: Merchant teaches courses in computational text analysis, gender and science, health technologies, and data visualization, including Data Feminism and Genetics and Society.

Labs and Collaborations: She collaborates with UC Davis DataLab for digital methods and co-edits the DNA, Race, and Reproduction volume with Meaghan O'Keefe, supported by the Davis Humanities Institute.