Pyenson writes definitive work on George Sarton

KALAMAZOO--Dr. Lewis Pyenson, dean of the Graduate College at Western Michigan University, has written the first full-length study of the life and work of George Sarton, one of the founders of the history of science in America. "The Passion of George Sarton: A Modern Marriage and Its Discipline," was published by the American Philosophical Society.

The book focuses on the sometimes tempestuous marriage between George Sarton and his wife, English artist Mabel Sarton. It uses their relationship and correspondence as the backdrop for Sarton's vision of the history of science as a discipline that serves as "a bridge between the cultures of the humanities and natural sciences."

A scholar with extensive international experience, Pyenson came to WMU in 2006 as Graduate College dean. He earned bachelor's and master's degrees in physics from Swarthmore College and the University of Wyoming, respectively, and a doctoral degree in the history of science from Johns Hopkins University.

Pyenson is a fellow of the Royal Society of Canada and a corresponding member of the International Academy of History of Science in Paris. A previous book credited with Jean-Francois Gauvin, "The Art of Teaching Physics," received the 2003-04 Award for Outstanding Achievement in Research from the Canadian Museums Association.