Daniele Macuglia
Daniele Macuglia is an Italian historian of science and physicist.
He is an assistant professor of the history of science at Peking University.
Before moving to Beijing, he was a research fellow at the Neubauer Collegium for Culture and Society at the University of Chicago.
Biography
Born in Tolmezzo, Italy, Macuglia studied physics at the University of Pavia, where he graduated summa cum laude while enrolled at the Institute for Advanced Studies of Pavia (IUSS). He later moved to the University of Chicago, earning a PhD in the history and philosophy of science under the supervision of American physicist Leo P. Kadanoff and historian of science Robert J. Richards. His research focuses on computational statistical mechanics, particularly on the theoretical foundations of Monte Carlo and molecular dynamics and their roles in establishing evidential standards in condensed-matter physics.In addition to his academic work, Macuglia collaborates with Italian chef and author Francesco Bellissimo on the history of Italian food culture. Their project studies how culinary practice and its literary expression reveal patterns of knowledge exchange in early modern Europe. It draws on archival materials and period texts and presents its results through cultural programs supported by Italian embassies and consular institutes, in collaboration with universities in Asia, Europe and North America.