Tara Nummedal

Tara Nummedal is the John Nickoll Provost’s Professor of History at Brown University. She specializes in early modern European history, focusing on alchemy, the history of science, gender, and Reformation-era culture. Her research bridges disciplines, integrating digital humanities and material culture studies. Nummedal holds a PhD from Stanford University (2001), an MA from UC Davis (1996), and a BA from Pomona College (1992).

Her major works include Alchemy and Authority in the Holy Roman Empire (2007) and Anna Zieglerin and the Lion’s Blood (2019), which won the 2022 Pfizer Award. She co-edited Furnace and Fugue (2020), a digital project on Michael Maier’s alchemical emblem book, earning the Roy Rosenzweig Prize. Her work has been supported by prestigious grants from the Guggenheim Foundation, NEH, and others.

Nummedal teaches courses on early modern Europe, science, and gender. She co-edits the Studies in Early Modern German History series and serves on editorial boards for Ambix and the New England Renaissance Conference. Her research explores intersections of alchemy, religion, and politics, with a focus on marginalized figures like Anna Zieglerin.

Her scholarly contributions include studies on alchemical networks, court culture, and the role of women in early modern science. Nummedal’s digital projects, like Furnace and Fugue, emphasize innovative approaches to historical scholarship and public engagement.