A cultural history of oxygen in late eighteenth-century France
Chloe Gang ('26) has just been awarded our prestigious McCormack-Reboussin scholarship for AY 2025-2026. A French & Francophone Studies and Chemistry double-major, Chloe will be tracing a cultural history of the chemical revolution, focusing specifically on the representation of oxygen in the literary and political discourses of late eighteenth-century France. In particular she wants to know if the discovery of oxygen generated the same kind of excitement as electricity and magnetism. If not, why? Thanks to this generously funded scholarship, Chloe will conduct summer research in the Lavoisier archives at Cornell University and at the Institut d'Histoire et de Philosophie des Sciences et des Techniques (Université de Paris I). She will be working with Prof. Pacini to complete this exciting honors thesis project over the course of her senior year.
