Melissa N. Stein

Melissa N. Stein is an Associate Professor in the Gender and Women’s Studies Department at the University of Kentucky. Her research focuses on intersections of race, gender, and science in U.S. history. She holds a PhD in History from Rutgers University (2008) and a BA from Franklin & Marshall College (1995). Prior to UK, she held postdoctoral fellowships at Rutgers and Indiana University.

Stein’s work critiques scientific racism, particularly in 19th- and 20th-century contexts. Her book *Measuring Manhood* (2015) examines biomedical constructions of masculinity and citizenship. Currently, she investigates the 1985 MOVE bombing disaster in Philadelphia, exploring racial memory and state violence. Her teaching spans critical race theory, feminist science studies, African-American history, and LGBTQ+ history.

Her publications include essays on racial thought, Jim Crow-era medicine, and historical memory. Stein is affiliated with the Commonwealth Institute for Black Studies and teaches courses such as *Race, Gender, and Science* and *Ferguson and Race in Historical Context*.