Current Researchers
Postdoctoral Scholars | Ph.D. Fellows
Postdoctoral Scholars | Ph.D. Fellows
Jana Bacevic is Associate Professor at Durham University and a member of the editorial board of The Philosopher, UK's longest-running public philosophy magazine. Jana has written extensively on social theory and the politics of knowledge, including questions of non-prediction and the use of scientific advice to inform policy.
Jana's current project, 'Uncategorical imperatives: understanding non-reciprocity' is funded by the Leverhulme Trust and explores the role of noncategorical ethical judgments in the context of the (post-)Anthropocene. Jana has PhDs in sociology and in anthropology, and has previously worked at Cambridge, Aarhus, and the Central European University.
2023 – 2024
2021 – 2022
2022 – 2024
Leo Kleiman-Lynch is currently a Ph.D. student in the Department of Psychology. He obtained his master’s degree in experimental psychology from UC San Diego, and his undergraduate degree in applied psychology from Ithaca College.
His research focuses primarily on how and why default choices affect the decisions people make. With the institute, he plans to explore how strategic use of default choices can help low-income households make energy decisions that are aligned with their preferences.
2022 – 2024
Kathryne Metcalf is a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Communication and Science Studies Program, where she is also the co-organizer of the Critical Data Studies Working Group. She holds a master’s degree in American culture studies from Bowling Green State University, and a bachelor’s degree in literary studies from Beloit College.
Her work explores how databases function as the epistemic grammar of big data sciences. Her current project examines the role of biobanks — institutional collections of biomaterials and related data — as a critical infrastructure within the interdisciplinary research ecologies of contemporary genomics.
2022 – 2024
Lian Song is a Ph.D. student in the Department of Communication and Science Studies Program. His research examines the emerging processes and promise of community-led deliberation and power over socio-technical systems. His current project explores political configurations in relation to urban surveillance and database systems, especially as they mediate local government and community actors.
2022 – 2024
Karina Villa Ortiz is a Ph.D. student in the Department of Philosophy. She earned her undergraduate degree in philosophy at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona.
Her current research interests are in Epistemology (social and formal), Philosophy of Law (as it intersects with epistemology) and Applied Ethics. Her current research projects include questions about animal cognition (such as how dogs understand time and build concepts) as well as the use of artificial intelligence in immigration enforcement.
2022 – 2024
Sophie Webb is a Ph.D. student in the Department of Sociology. Her research interests include bioethics, public health and health inequities, while her current project focuses on the pathway from ethics to implementation in public health. As a fellow at the Institute for Practical Ethics, she will be investigating what effect different prioritizations of COVID vaccines have had on health disparities.