Adrian Johns Appointed Allan Grant Maclear Distinguished Service Professor

Adrian Johns, elevated as the Allan Grant Maclear Distinguished Service Professor

A member of the faculty since 2001, Adrian, a distinguished scholar of the history of science, explores the historical origins of intellectual property and piracy, the history of the book and other media, and the history of the scientific study of reading and text. A hallmark of his research is a broad historical approach, connecting the long past of questions about ideas, writing and intellectual property to current debates. He is the author of four monographs: The Science of Reading: Information, Media and Mind in Modern America (2023); Piracy: the; Death of a Pirate: British Radio and the Making of the Information Age (2010); Intellectual Property Wars from Gutenberg to Gates (2009); The Nature of the Book (1998). In addition, In 2023, Adrian published Beyond Craft and Code: Human and Algorithmic Cultures Past and Present, a volume co-edited with sociologist James Evans. He is the recipient of many distinguished awards, including fellowships from the Guggenheim Foundation, the American Council of Learned Societies, and the American Philosophical Society.