My name is Melissa Jacquart (jay-kart). I’m an Assistant Professor in the Philosophy Department at the University of Cincinnati and the Curriculum & Pedagogy Director for the Center for Public Engagement with Science. I am also a Faculty Affiliate in the Women, Gender, & Sexuality Studies Department, and the Physics Department.
Research. I have three main areas of philosophical research. The first area of research focuses on epistemological issues in the philosophy of science, specifically on the use of models and computer simulations in astrophysics. The second focuses on public engagement with science. I’m particularly interested in what roles philosophy can play in public engagement with science, and in science education more specifically. Lastly, I work on topics in philosophy education, particularly developing effective teaching methodologies for philosophy, and in doing philosophy for children (p4c) style outreach. Across all three areas, I draw on methods and literature from feminist philosophy.
Teaching. At the undergraduate level, I most commonly teach Meaning of Life, Philosophy (Taylor’s Version), Feminist Philosophy, Ethics & Inquiry in the Public Sphere, and Philosophy for Children. At the graduate level, I teach our department’s Philosophical Pedagogy seminar, as well as Feminist Philosophy of Science. I also teach an interdisciplinary Public Engagement with Science seminar. I have received several awards for my teaching, including the APA’s David W. Concepción Prize for Excellence in Philosophy Teaching, which recognizes a philosophy teacher who has had a profound impact on the student learning of philosophy in undergraduate and/or pre-college settings.
Outreach. My outreach efforts focus on doing philosophy with 5th and 6th graders. I hold a Whiting Foundation Public Engagement Fellowship for my work developing new outreach programming that blends philosophy with children methodology into science fair contexts. I also have media outreach training, and have been interviewed and featured on regional news programming, as well as Newsweek.
Prior to Cincinnati, I was a postdoctoral researcher working in the Philosophy Department at the University of Pennsylvania, working also with the Carnegie Observatories. I completed my PhD in Philosophy at Western University, where I was a member of the Rotman Institute of Philosophy. I did my undergraduate studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, majoring in Astrophysics, Physics, and Philosophy. I grew up in St. Paul, MN.
My contact information can be found on the top of my CV.