معرفی
Mary B Pickering is a Professor of History at San José State University's College of Social Sciences, specializing in modern European intellectual, cultural, and social history with particular focus on European women's history and 19th century French thought. She teaches undergraduate courses including History 144: Europe, 1900-1945; History 146: The City in History; and History 241: Twentieth-Century Europe (graduate seminar).
Dr. Pickering earned her educational credentials from Harvard University, completing her Ph.D. in History in 1988 with a dissertation on "Auguste Comte: His Life and Works (1798-1842)," advised by Professor Donald Fleming. She also holds a D.E.A. (Diplôme d'Etudes Approfondies) from Institut d'Etudes Politiques (Science Po) in Paris, an A.M. from Harvard University (1976), and an A.B. in History from Harvard (1975), where she graduated in three years, was elected to Phi Beta Kappa, and graduated magna cum laude.
Her research centers on the intellectual biography of Auguste Comte and the history of positivism, with significant contributions to understanding Comte's influence on European intellectual, political, and religious life. She has extensively explored Comte's relationship with women intellectuals, particularly examining how his positivist philosophy intersected with gender dynamics in 19th century Europe. Her work also investigates Comte's connections to the Saint-Simonians, his views on primitivism, and his impact on social theory development.
Dr. Pickering's scholarly output reveals a consistent focus on intellectual biography and the history of ideas, with particular attention to how philosophical systems develop and influence broader social contexts. Her publications span multiple languages and appear in prestigious journals across history, philosophy, and women's studies disciplines, demonstrating interdisciplinary reach while maintaining a core focus on 19th century European intellectual history.
- NEH Fellowship for College Teachers and Independent Scholars (1991-92)
- Volumes two and three of her Comte biography nominated for the Pulitzer Prize and History of Science Society's Pfizer Prize
- College of Social Sciences Austen D. Warburton Award for Outstanding Scholarly Achievement (2010)
- San Jose State University President's Scholar Award (2010-2011)
- Named one of 'Top 20 Women Professors in California' by StateStats.org (2013)
- Elected to Phi Kappa Phi in recognition of scholarly distinction (2005)
Dr. Pickering has secured significant research funding including an NEH grant in 1991 that supported her three-volume biography of Auguste Comte. She has advised numerous graduate students in her capacity as a professor of history, though specific names are not documented in the provided materials. Her international scholarly engagement is evidenced by invitations to speak at institutions including Hosei University (Tokyo), Centre Culturel International de Cerisy-la-Salle (France), Académie Tunisienne des Sciences (Tunisia), and Bibliothèque Nationale de France.
