Adjunct Professor of Humanities

Professional Biography

David Galaty is an intellectual and cultural historian specializing in the history of science and technology. A National Merit Scholar, he received his BA degree in English from Trinity College, and his Ph.D. in history of science from the Johns Hopkins University. He served in the Peace Corp in Ghana as a secondary school mathematics and physics professor. Most of his career he spent at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay where he taught in an interdisciplinary humanities program. While at the University of Wisconsin, he worked with his colleagues to develop several interdisciplinary courses that incorporated intellectual history, literature, philosophy, art, and music. He developed a highly successful January abroad program in Yucatan, Mexico, and was twice an exchange professor in Kassel, Germany, and Leon, Spain. His grants from the National Endowment for the Humanities brought together professors from several disciplines. Dr. Galaty also served twice as humanities division chair and once as chair of Social Services. He served as Chair of the Executive Committee of the University faculty, campus representative to the UW system, and Speaker of the Faculty Senate.
Since coming to Portland, Dr. Galaty has taught at Lewis and Clark College, Portland State University, and Washington State University, Vancouver. He has taught a wide variety of history courses involving science, technology, art society, and politics. Dr. Galaty is presently interested in the use of metaphors in scientific language and the interaction of metaphors in science and religion. He is delighted to be teaching in the Exploration and Discovery program.

Academic Credentials