Helen Anne Curry

Helen Anne Curry is a Professor in the School of History and Sociology at Georgia Institute of Technology, holding the Melvin Kranzberg Chair in the History of Technology. She is also an Honorary Senior Research Fellow at the University of Cambridge’s Department of History and Philosophy of Science. Her research focuses on the history of 20th- and 21st-century science and technology, with particular emphasis on food systems, agriculture, and environmental conservation. She has led major projects such as the Wellcome Trust-funded From Collection to Cultivation, which re-examines the historical development of modern crop varieties and conservation practices.

Curry’s work bridges historical analysis with contemporary debates about crop biodiversity, industrial agriculture, and global food security. Key research areas include the history of seed banking, the socio-technical dimensions of plant breeding technologies, and the interplay between environmentalism and agricultural science. She has published extensively, including the acclaimed books Endangered Maize: Industrial Agriculture and the Crisis of Extinction (2022) and Evolution Made to Order: Plant Breeding and Technological Innovation in Twentieth-Century America (2016).

• Grants & Fellowships: Wellcome Trust Investigator Award (2020–present), Pro Futura Scientia Fellowship (2017–2020), Wellcome Seed Award (2016–2017).
• Projects: Leads the From Collection to Cultivation initiative, collaborates on the Worlds of Natural History edited volume, and contributes to the Seed virtual reality project.
• Collaborations: Works with institutions like the University of Cambridge, the CGIAR, and international seed conservation networks.

Her research highlights the cultural and political dimensions of scientific practices, emphasizing how technological innovations in agriculture shape—and are shaped by—broader societal values. Curry’s work is characterized by interdisciplinary approaches, integrating archival research, fieldwork, and engagement with contemporary scientific communities.