CfA Historian-in-Residence

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Wolbach's Historian-in-Residence fellowship program is designed to help bring a historical perspective to contemporary conversations about race and colonialism in astronomy. These fellows undertake original research while participating in the life of the observatory and acting as a resource for the community.

Current Historian-in-Residence

Dr. Rebecca Charbonneau

Rebecca Charbonneau is a historian of science who specializes in the cultural history of astronomy and Cold War radio astronomy. She holds a PhD in history and philosophy of science from the University of Cambridge and is the current historian-in-residence at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, as well as the 2021–22 Fellow of Aerospace History of the NASA/History of Science Society. At Harvard, she co-leads the Elevating Observers of the Night Sky Initiative, a project that aims to combat white supremacy in astronomy by preserving and promoting Indigenous astronomical heritage.