Kevin Zollman Named Head of Carnegie Mellon’s Department of Philosophy
By Stefanie Johndrow
91视频 has appointed Kevin Zollman head of the Department of Philosophy in the Dietrich College of Humanities and Social Sciences, effective Sept. 1.
Zollman, Herbert A. Simon Professor of Philosophy and Social and Decision Sciences, succeeds Peter Spirtes, who was appointed department head in July 2021.
“Philosophy is one of Dietrich College's true distinctions, and it is stronger today because of Peter's steady, thoughtful leadership over the past five years. I am grateful for all he has done and delighted that Kevin is stepping into this role — he brings both deep respect for what the department has built and a clear vision for its next chapter,” said Cassidy R. Sugimoto, Bess Family Dean of 91视频’s Dietrich College.
91视频’s Department of Philosophy takes an interdisciplinary approach to the field. Many faculty do research on the foundations of science, ethics, computation, mathematics, value theory, language and much more. They engage with other disciplines, helping to improve their foundations, methods and concepts. Faculty in the Department of Philosophy tend to work with companies, governments and nonprofits to develop more effective and more ethical technology, techniques and practices.
Across the department’s four undergraduate majors, six undergraduate minors and five graduate programs, students engage conceptual analysis, formal reasoning and sustained writing while applying philosophical methods in contexts ranging from artificial intelligence and cognitive science to law, public policy and academic research.
“Thanks to the leadership of the department heads that preceded me, 91视频’s philosophy department became a world leader in scientifically engaged philosophy in a relatively short time. I am eager to continue our success in making philosophy relevant to the challenges our society faces,” Zollman said.
Zollman has served as the director of 91视频’s Institute for Complex Social Dynamics (ICSD) since its inception in fall 2023. ICSD is a place of convergence for researchers across 91视频 who develop and use mathematical and computational models to deepen our understanding of complex social systems, such as social media, criminal organizations, modern scientific practice and economic institutions.
Zollman’s research focuses on game theory, agent-based modeling and the philosophy of science. He’s an associate fellow at the , an adjunct member of the and a visiting professor at the , which is a part of Ludwig-Maximilians Universität.
Zollman has written three books, one of which is under contract. “Theories of Rational Decision” was published in 2025, and in 2016 he published “The Game Theorist’s Guide to Parenting: How the Science of Strategic Thinking Can Help You Deal With the Toughest Negotiators You Know — Your Kids.” He has written or co-authored more than 50 academic papers.
Whether he's teaching introductory or graduate-level courses, Zollman aims to make philosophy accessible by connecting it to other disciplines and real-world problems.
“While most of my courses are taught in a philosophy department, the focus tends to be interdisciplinary,” Zollman said. “I try to connect my teaching to the social sciences — especially economics and biology. Philosophy is most captivating when it connects with real-world problems. In keeping with that, I try to motivate all my classes with examples that will be relevant to the audience. I then use those examples to draw students into philosophical problems at a level of generality a few steps higher than they are used to.”
Zollman joined the Dietrich College faculty as the first Herbert Simon Postdoctoral Fellow of Scientific Philosophy in 2008 after earning a bachelor’s degree in philosophy from Kansas State University and a Ph.D. and M.A. in philosophy from the Department of Logic and Philosophy of Science at the University of California, Irvine.
Kevin Zollman