Paul D. Brinkman

Paul D. Brinkman is an Associate Professor in the Department of History at North Carolina State University. He holds a Ph.D. in History of Science and Technology from the University of Minnesota (2005) and a B.A. in History and Geography from Augustana College, with minors in Geology and Latin American Studies. His research focuses on the history of science, particularly vertebrate paleontology and geology, museum history, and the work of Charles Darwin and other 19th- and early 20th-century naturalists. He is also the head of the Environmental Humanities Research Laboratory and serves as curator of Special Collections at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences. His interdisciplinary approach bridges the sciences and humanities, emphasizing the intersection of academic scholarship and public engagement.

Brinkman’s expertise spans multiple areas within the Department of History, including Environmental History, Science and Technology Studies, and Public History. He actively contributes to the academic community through his writing on the history of scientific publishing and the role of museums in shaping public understanding of science.