William Sims Bainbridge earned his doctorate in sociology from Harvard University, with a dissertation on the social origins of the space program, which became his first of 18 published scientific books (not counting edited volumes). He taught sociology, including the sociology of science and technology as well as theory and research methods, in major universities for 20 years. During this academic career, he wrote and published educational software, including computer-supported textbooks on survey research methods and techniques of statistical data analysis. In 1992, he came to the National Science Foundation to direct the Sociology Program. At NSF, Bainbridge represented the social and behavioral sciences on many of the major technology-related government initiatives, including High Performance Computing and Communications, the Digital Library Initiative, Information Technology Research, and the National Nanotechnology Initiative. Given his computer background, in 2000 Bainbridge moved to the NSF Directorate for Computer & Information Science & Engineering, serving three years as deputy director of the Division of Information & Intelligent Systems, and as a grants officer in programs such as Human-Computer Interaction, Science & Engineering Informatics, Artificial Intelligence, and currently Human-Centered Computing. During this time, he gained editorial experience as a member of the editorial team creating an Encyclopedia of Language and Linguistics, writing 75 articles for a variety of conventional encyclopedias, editing three special issues of journals, then being sole editor of the Berkshire Encyclopedia of Human-Computer Interaction. This HCI encyclopedia was comparable to the current project in that it brought together 100 articles in two volumes to cover an important emerging area between the social and physical sciences and engineering. His efforts in the National Nanotechnology Initiative led him to be co-organizer and co-editor of several major book-length reports, published in conventional paper form and electronically. In approaching this leadership handbook, Bainbridge can draw upon over 16 years managing grant-giving programs across several sciences and areas of technology at NSF, during which time he developed an appreciation of many fields outside his own expertise and gained enduring contacts with a large number of leaders in science and engineering.
This two-volume set within the SAGE Reference Series on Leadership tackles issues relevant to leadership in the realm of science and technology. To encompass the key topics in this arena, this handbook features 100 topics arranged under eight headings. Volume One concentrates on general principles of science and technology leadership and includes sections on social-scientific perspectives on science and technology leadership; key scientific concepts about leading and innovating in science and technology; characteristics of science and technology leaders and their environments; and strategies, tactics, and tools in science and technology. Volume Two provides case studies of leadership in science and technology, with sections considering leadership in informal communities of scientists and engineers; leadership in government projects and research initiatives; leadership in industry research, development, and innovation; and finally, leadership in education and university-based research. By focusing on key topics within 100 brief chapters, this unprecedented reference resource offers students more detailed information and depth of discussion than typically found in an encyclopedia entry but not as much jargon, detail or density as in a journal article or a research handbook chapter. Entries are written in language and style that is broadly accessible, and each is followed by cross-references and a brief bibliography and further readings. A detailed index and an online version of the work enhances accessibility for today's student audience.
