People

Harriet Zuckerman received her A.B. degree from Vassar College and Ph.D. from Columbia University. She was professor of sociology at Columbia and chaired the department in 1978–1982. In 1991, she joined the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, of which she is the Senior Vice President.Zuckerman's research has focused on the social organization of science and scholarship. She is the author of the 1977 book, Scientific Elite: Nobel Laureates in the United States. This book, in addition to being a study of a scientific elite, constitutes a fascinating introduction to the phenomenon of multiple discovery, particularly in science and technology. Its findings, particularly in relation to "accumulation of advantage", are relevant to the question of eminence, exceptional achievement, and greatness.Zuckerman was married to the late sociologist of science, Robert K. Merton. As a result of the Matilda effect, Zuckerman is also credited by Merton as the co-author of the Matthew effect.