Evelynn M. Hammonds facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Evelynn Hammonds
Hammonds in 2017
Dean of Harvard College
In office June 1, 2008 – July 1, 2013
Preceded by	Benedict Gross David Pilbeam (acting)
Succeeded by	Donald Pfister (acting) Rakesh Khurana
Personal details
Born	(1953-01-02) January 2, 1953 (age 73) Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.
Education	Spelman College (BS) Georgia Institute of Technology (BS) Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MS) Harvard University (PhD)
Scientific career
Institutions	Massachusetts Institute of Technology Harvard University

Evelynn Maxine Hammonds (born 1953) is an American scholar and professor. She is known for her work in the History of Science and African and African-American Studies. She teaches at Harvard University and was once the Dean of Harvard College. Her research often looks at how race, gender, science, and medicine are connected.

Hammonds earned degrees in engineering and physics. Before getting her PhD, she worked as a computer programmer. She started her teaching career at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Later, she moved to Harvard. In 2008, Hammonds became the Dean of Harvard College. She was the first African-American and the first woman to hold this important position. She returned to full-time teaching in 2013.

Early Life and Education

Evelynn Hammonds was born in Atlanta, Georgia, on January 2, 1953. Her mother was a schoolteacher, and her father worked for the postal service. Her father wanted to be an engineer but could not attend the local university because of segregation. Segregation was a system that kept people of different races separate.

Hammonds became interested in history and science when she was young. Her parents encouraged this interest. Her high school education was difficult because of integration and discrimination. She had to switch schools several times before finishing at Southwest High School.

College and Early Research

Hammonds was a National Merit Scholar. She attended Spelman College, a historically Black college for women. There, she joined a special engineering program with Georgia Institute of Technology. In 1976, she earned degrees in Physics and Electrical Engineering from both universities.

During her college summers, she worked at Bell Labs. This was part of a program that helped minority students in science. She learned a lot about "big science" and was even published for the first time. She also met Shirley Ann Jackson, a Black woman who was a physicist. Meeting Jackson inspired Hammonds to attend MIT.

After college, Hammonds went to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). She studied for a PhD but left early in 1980 with a master's degree in physics. She then worked as a software engineer for five years. However, she found this work not challenging enough. She decided to return to school at Harvard University. In 1993, she earned her PhD in the History of Science.

Career Highlights

After getting her PhD from Harvard, Hammonds was invited to teach at MIT. While there, she helped start MIT's Center for the Study of Diversity in Science, Technology, and Medicine. She also helped organize an important conference in 1994. This conference, called "Black Women in the Academy: Defending Our Name 1894–1994," brought together Black female scholars. They discussed challenges faced by African-American women in universities.

In 2002, she returned to Harvard as a professor. She taught in the departments of History of Science and African and African-American Studies. In 2008, she became the Dean of Harvard College. Before this, she was the first senior vice provost for Harvard's Faculty Development and Diversity. She was also the fourth Black woman to become a tenured professor in Harvard's Faculty of Arts and Sciences.

University Leadership and Challenges

In February 2022, Hammonds and other Harvard faculty signed a letter. The letter defended Professor John Comaroff, who had been found to have violated university policies. The letter praised Comaroff as a good colleague. However, after more information came out, Hammonds and others said they wanted to remove their signatures.

Email Search Incident

In March 2013, Hammonds and another Harvard dean, Michael D. Smith, faced a challenge. They had ordered a search of email records of Harvard staff. This was to find out who had shared information with the media about a cheating investigation. They had asked staff if they leaked information, but no one admitted it. So, they searched emails to find the person responsible.

The Harvard Crimson, the student newspaper, asked Hammonds to resign. On May 28, Hammonds announced she would step down. She said she would lead a new Harvard research program on race and gender in science. She stated her decision was not related to the email search incident. An outside review later found that the email searches were done in good faith. They were meant to protect the privacy of the cheating investigation.

Research Focus

Evelynn Hammonds' research explores how science, medicine, and race are connected. She studies how science has looked at human differences through the idea of race. Her work often covers the period from the 17th century to today. She also studies the history of diseases and the experiences of African-American women.

Hammonds has also written about the importance of Black women defining their own experiences. She believes that Black women must speak up to overcome unfair treatment. She has highlighted how Black women's voices have sometimes been ignored in history and in academic discussions.

In 1995, Hammonds joined other Black feminists like Angela Davis and Kimberlé Crenshaw. They formed a group called "African American Agenda 2000." This group worked to promote equality and address issues important to Black women.

Notable Publications

• Childhood's Deadly Scourge: The Campaign to Control Diphtheria in New York City, 1880 – 1930 (1999, Johns Hopkins University Press)
• The Nature of Difference: Sciences of Race in the United States from Jefferson to Genomics (2008, MIT Press)
• The Harvard Sampler: Liberal Education for the Twenty-first Century (2011, Harvard University Press)
• The Dilemma of Classification: The Past in the Present (2011, Rutgers University Press)

Honors and Awards

Evelynn Hammonds has received many honors and awards for her work:

• President of the History of Science Society, 2024-2025
• The Harvard LGBTQ Students at the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences Association named an award after her: the "Evelynn Hammonds Award for Exceptional Service to BGLTQ+ Inclusion", 2021.
• Elected member of the American Academy of Arts & Sciences, 2021
• Election to the Bates College Board of Trustees, 2018
• Appointment to the Committee on Women in Science, Engineering, and Medicine of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, 2017
• History of Science Society Distinguished Lecturer, 2016
• Founder's Award, Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights and Economic Justice, 2014
• Woman of Courage and Conviction Award, Greater Boston Chapter of the National Council of Negro Women, 2014
• Spelman College Ida B. Wells-Barnett Distinguished Lecturer, 2013
• Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters from Bates College, 2011
• Association for Women in Science Fellow, 2008
• Barbara Gutmann Rosenkrantz Professorship at Harvard University, 2007
• Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters from Spelman College, 2004
• Sigma Xi Distinguished Lecturer, 2003–05