April 2012
Gregg A. Mitman, Vilas Research and William Coleman Professor of History of Science, Medical History and Environmental Studies and the Nelson Institute interim director, was awarded the William H. Welch Medal for his 2007 book Breathing Space: How Allergies Shape our Lives and Landscapes at the recent American Association for the History of Medicine (AAHM) annual meeting in Baltimore, Md.
Gregg’s book, published by Yale University Press, offers an intimate portrait of how allergic disease has shaped American culture, landscape and life. It draws on environmental, medical and cultural history, and the life stories of people, plants and insects, to trace how America’s changing environment from the late 1800s to the present day has led to the epidemic growth of allergic disease.
The Welch Medal is awarded to one or more authors of a book (excluding edited volumes) of outstanding scholarly merit in the field of medical history, published during the five calendar years preceding the award. Congratulations Gregg!