Samantha Muka, PhD, a Critical Writing instructor since Fall 2014, has been awarded a Smithsonian Institution Doctoral Fellowship for the summer.
Beginning June 1 and continuing through August, Dr. Muka will work at the Smithsonian Institution Archives and the National Museum of Natural History, both in Washington, and the Smithsonian Marine Station in Fort Pierce, Fla. She will study the history and current use of reef aquariums as model systems in ecological research.
A native of South Florida, Dr. Muka has long been fascinated by the sea. Marine biology, in particular, is an exciting scientific discipline, she says, because βit requires a lot of different voices β academics, fisheries professionals, aquarists, hobbyists and beach goers and anglers.β
Dr. Muka teaches Medical Genetics and Craft of Prose. She earned her B.A. and M.A. at the University of South Florida in English Literature and in History and Philosophy of Science, respectively, and her Ph.D. at Penn in History and Sociology of Science, Technology, and Medicine.