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Staff Profiles

Dr W Bernard Carlson

B.Sc., PhD

Contact Details

Programme Manager AgInnovate - TechInnovate
Alice Perry Engineering Building
Lecturer Below The Bar
E: WALTERBERNARD.CARLSON@nuigalway.ie
 
researcher
 

Biography

W. Bernard Carlson is the program manager for the TechInnovate and AgInnovate programs at the University of Galway.  These programmes offer an M.Sc and help students shape ideas into viable products and ventures.  His research focuses understanding innovation as both a cognitive and social process.

Prior to coming to Galway, Bernie was the Joseph L. Vaughan Professor of Humanities and the former Chair of the Department of Engineering and Society at the University of Virginia.  In recognition of his 36 years of service to UVa's School of Engineering and Applied Science, he was presented with the Distinguished Faculty Award in 2022.

Bernie studied history and physics as an undergraduate at Holy Cross College, earned his Ph.D. in the history and sociology of science at the University of Pennsylvania, and did his postdoctoral work at the Harvard Business School.  He has written widely on the innovation process as well as on the role of technology in the rise and fall of civilizations.  His books include Innovation as a Social Process: Elihu Thomson and the Rise of General Electric, 1870-1900 (Cambridge University Press, 1991) and Technology in World History, 7 volumes (Oxford University Press, 2005).  His most recent book, Tesla: Inventor of the Electrical Age. (Princeton University Press, 2013) has been translated into ten languages.

In 2015, Bernie won both the Sally Hacker Prize from the Society for the History of Technology [SHOT] as well as the IEEE Middleton Award in Electrical History.  In addition to his books, Professor Carlson has filmed 36 lectures on "Understanding the Inventions that Changed the World" for The Great Courses.  His research has been supported by grants from the National Science Foundation, the Sloan Foundation, as well as visiting fellowships at academic institutions in Britain, France, and Germany.

While at UVa, Bernie launched a student-facing programs in engineering business and tech entrepreneurship as well as a Ph.D. program combining technological and environmental history.  For many years, he co-edited a book series at MIT Press, 'Inside Technology: New Approaches to History and Sociology of Technology' which published over 75 volumes.  Bernie has served on the boards of several professional organizations including the Business History Conference, the Newcomen Society, and the National Inventors Hall of Fame and he was elected to a five-year term as Executive Secretary of SHOT.  For over a decade, Bernie consulted with Corning Incorporated and he continues to consult with companies on how to create a culture of innovation.

Research Interests

Innovation and entrepreneurship
History of technology and business

Currently writing biography of William C. Durant [1862-1947], founder of General Motors.

Books

  Year Publication
(2013) Tesla: Inventor of the Electrical Age.
Carlson, W. Bernard (2013) Tesla: Inventor of the Electrical Age. Princeton: Princeton University Press. [Details]
(1991) Innovation as a Social Process: Elihu Thomson and the Rise of General Electric, 1870-1900.
Carlson, W. Bernard (1991) Innovation as a Social Process: Elihu Thomson and the Rise of General Electric, 1870-1900. New York: Cambridge University Press. [Details]

Book Chapters

  Year Publication
(2019) 'Using the Past to Make Innovators'
Carlson, W. Bernard (2019) 'Using the Past to Make Innovators' In: Does America Need More Innovators?. :299-322 Cambridge: MIT Press. [Details]

Edited Books

  Year Publication
(2023) Electrical Conquest: New Approaches to the History of Electrification.
Carlson, W. Bernard and Conway, Erik M (Ed.). (2023) Electrical Conquest: New Approaches to the History of Electrification Electrical Conquest: New Approaches to the History of Electrification. Berlin: Springer Nature. [Details]
(2005) Technology in World History, 7 vols.
Carlson, W. Bernard (Ed.). (2005) Technology in World History, 7 vols Technology in World History, 7 vols. New York: Oxford University Press. [Details]

Honours and Awards

  Year Title Awarding Body
2022 Distinguished Faculty Award School of Engineering and Applied Science, University of Virginia
2015 Sally Hacker Prize for Best Popular Book Society for the History of Technology
2015 William and Joyce Middleton Electrical Engineering History Award Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers
2008 Sally Hacker Prize for Best Popular Book Society for the History of Technology

Professional Associations

  Association Function From / To
Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers History Advisory Committee 01-JAN-05 / 31-DEC-07
National Inventors Hall of Fame Director 02-MAR-09 /
Newcomen Society of the United States Trustee 01-JAN-90 / 31-DEC-09
Society for the History of Technology Executive Secretary 01-JAN-09 / 31-DEC-13

Committees

  Committee Function From / To
Promotion and Tenure, UVa Engineering Member 01-SEP-21 / 31-DEC-21
University of Virginia Press Faculty Advisory Board member 01-JAN-15 / 31-DEC-21
MIT Press Co-editor, Inside Technology Book Series 01-JAN-87 / 31-DEC-19

Employment

  Employer Position From / To
University of Virginia Chair of Engineering and Society Department 01-SEP-12 / 15-AUG-21
Michigan Technological University Assistant Professor of Science, Technology, and Society 01-SEP-83 / 31-AUG-86
University of Virginia Joseph L. Vaughan Professor of Humanities 01-JAN-14 / 10-JAN-23
University of Virginia Professor of Science, Technology, and Society 01-SEP-86 / 10-JAN-23

Education

  Year Institution Qualification Subject
1977 College of the Holy Cross Bachelor of Arts History
1981 University of Pennsylvania Masters of Arts History and Sociology of Science
1984 University of Pennsylvania Ph.D. History and Sociology of Science

Consultancy

  Client Description
Corning Incorporated
History and culture of innovation
BrightHouse BCG
Luminary for corporate workshops
National Council for History Education
Lead Historian, Technology¿s Impact in American History: A Primary Source Inquiry for K12 Teachers, with support from the Library of Congress, 2017-2019

Reviews

  Journal Role
Annals of Science Editoral Board

Teaching Interests

Innovation and entrepreneurship
History of technology
Science, technology, and society
Professional writing for engineers
Engineering ethics