MELINDA BONNIE FAGAN portrait
  • Professor, Philosophy
801-581-7424

Professional Service

  • European Philosophy of Science Association. Role: member. Program Committee. 02/2023 - 09/2023
  • History and Philosophy of the Life Sciences (journal). referee. 12/20/2022 - 12/22/2022
  • National Science Foundation. Role: ad hoc reviewer. reviewer. 11/25/2022 - 11/28/2022
  • Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. area editor. 01/01/2022 - 12/31/2022
  • Journal of Medicine and Philosophy. editorial board. 01/01/2022 - 12/31/2022
  • History and Philosophy of the Life Sciences (journal). Role: referee. referee report. 05/2021 - 06/2021
  • Episteme. Role: referee. referee report. 04/2021 - 05/2021
  • History of the Human Sciences (journal). Role: referee. referee report. 04/2021 - 05/2021
  • National Science Foundation. Role: reviewer. ad hoc reviewer. 09/2020 - 11/2020
  • Philosophy of Science Association. Role: member. Program Committee, Philosophy of Science Association, 2020 meeting (deferred to 2021). 03/2020 - 01/2022
  • European Journal for Philosophy of Science. Role: referee. referee reports (3). 03/2020 - 05/2020
  • Philosophy of Biology at the Mountains. Role: member. Program Committee, Philosophy of Biology at the Mountains on Zoom (POBAMz) June 2020 . 02/2020 - 06/2020
  • National Science Foundation. Role: reviewer. ad hoc reviewer . 02/2020 - 04/2020
  • Journal of Medicine and Philosophy. Role: referee. referee report. 02/2020 - 03/2020
  • Hyle: International Journal for Philosophy of Chemistry. Role: referee. referee report. 02/2020 - 03/2020
  • National Science Foundation. Role: referee. ad hoc referee report. 09/2019 - 11/2019
  • Studies in History and Philosophy of Science. Role: referee. referee report. 08/2019 - 12/2019
  • Studies in History and Philosophy of Science Part C: Studies in History and Philosophy of Biological and Biomedical Sciences. Role: referee. referee report. 08/2019 - 09/2019
  • Philosophy of Science (journal). Role: referee. referee report. 08/2019 - 09/2019
  • Journal of Medicine and Philosophy. Role: referee. referee report. 06/2019 - 06/2019
  • International Society for the History, Philosophy, and Social Studies of Biology. Role: member. Ad Hoc Committee on Respectful Behavior (May 2019-July 2019). 05/2019 - 05/2020
  • University of New Hampshire. external tenure review. 05/2019 - 08/2019
  • Synthese. Role: referee. referee report. 04/2019 - 05/2019
  • Teorama. Role: referee. referee report. 03/2019 - 04/2019
  • Kennedy Institute for Ethics (journal). referee report. 11/2018 - 12/2018
  • Philosophy of Science (journal). Role: referee. referee report. 07/2018 - 08/2018
  • Teorama. Role: referee. referee report. 06/2018 - 08/2018
  • European Research Council - University of Bordeaux, France. Role: external reviewer. external review for post-doc hiring. 05/2018 - 06/2018
  • History of Philosophy of Science (journal). Role: referee. referee report. 03/2018 - 08/2018
  • Social Epistemology (journal). Role: referee. referee report. 03/2018 - 04/2018
  • Journal of Medicine and Philosophy. Role: referee. referee report. 03/2018 - 04/2018
  • Biology and Philosophy (journal). Role: referee. referee report. 02/2018 - 12/2018
  • European Journal of Philosophy of Science. Role: referee. referee report. 02/2018 - 08/2018
  • Philosophy of Biology at the Mountains (POBAM) . Role: member. Program Committee. 02/2018 - 05/18/2018
  • Philosophy of Science Association. Role: member. Nominating Committee. 01/01/2018 - 12/31/2019
  • Journal of Medicine and Philosophy. Role: referee. Referee report. 12/13/2017 - 12/18/2017
  • Biology and Philosophy (journal). Role: referee. Referee report. 11/16/2017 - 12/17/2017
  • Journal of Medicine and Philosophy. Role: referee. Referee report. 11/03/2017 - 11/20/2017
  • The Philosophical Quarterly. Role: referee. Referee report. 10/16/2017 - 11/15/2017
  • British Journal for Philosophy of Science. Role: referee. Referee report. 10/03/2017 - 11/04/2017
  • Journal of Medicine and Philosophy. Role: referee. Referee report. 08/11/2017 - 09/04/2017
  • Biology and Philosophy (journal). Role: referee. Referee report. 08/05/2017 - 09/14/2017
  • British Journal for Philosophy of Science. Role: referee. Referee report. 07/06/2017 - 07/10/2017
  • American Philosophical Association. Role: member. Program Committee, American Philosophical Association, Pacific Division (2017-2020). 06/07/2017 - 07/2020
  • Models and Simulations 8 (conference). Role: member. program committee. 06/07/2017 - 03/18/2018
  • Virginia Tech. Role: reviewer. external tenure review. 06/05/2017 - 09/01/2017
  • Biology and Philosophy (journal). Role: referee. Referee report. 06/03/2017 - 07/08/2017
  • Synthese (journal). Role: referee. Referee report. 05/03/2017 - 06/10/2017
  • European Journal for Philosophy of Science. Associate Editor, European Journal for Philosophy of Science (July 2017-2020; continuing past term). 05/02/2017 - 06/30/2021
  • European Research Council - University of Bordeaux, France. Role: reviewer. Post-doc application expert referee (“The role of the immune system in the maintenance and construction of the organism”). 04/28/2017 - 05/22/2017
  • Journal of Medicine and Philosophy. Role: referee. Referee report. 03/01/2017 - 03/26/2017
  • British Journal for Philosophy of Science. Role: referee. Referee report. 02/22/2017 - 03/22/2017
  • Israel Science Foundation. Referee report . 02/21/2017 - 03/15/2017
  • Synthese (journal). Role: referee. Referee report. 02/15/2017 - 03/20/2017
  • Journal of Medicine and Philosophy. Role: referee. Referee report. 12/05/2016 - 01/07/2017
  • Biology and Philosophy (journal). Member, editorial board. 12/2016 - present
  • Journal of Medicine and Philosophy. Role: referee. referee report. 11/16/2016 - 12/04/2016
  • Biology and Philosophy (journal). Role: referee. referee report. 10/26/2016 - 12/09/2016
  • Biology and Philosophy (journal). Role: referee. flash review (special issue). 10/23/2016 - 10/25/2016
  • Journal of Medicine and Philosophy. Role: referee. referee report. 10/13/2016 - 11/26/2016
  • Synthesis Philosophica (journal) . Role: referee. referee report. 09/30/2016 - 12/02/2016
  • Philosophy of Science (journal). Role: referee. referee report. 09/14/2016 - 10/15/2016
  • Journal of Medicine and Philosophy. Role: referee. referee report. 06/25/2016 - 07/19/2016
  • European Philosophy of Science Association. Member, program committee (2017 meeting, Exeter, UK). 06/23/2016 - 09/09/2017
  • Journal of Medicine and Philosophy. Role: Editorial board. Member, editorial board. 06/2016 - present
  • Synthese (journal). Role: referee. referee report. 03/03/2016 - 03/31/2016
  • British Journal of Philosophy of Science. Role: referee. journal article referee report. 01/16/2016 - 01/17/2016
  • British Journal for Philosophy of Science. Role: referee. referee report (revised MS). 12/19/2015 - 01/16/2016
  • Journal of Medicine and Philosophy. Role: journal article referee. referee report (anonymous review). 03/22/2015 - 03/23/2015
  • Studies in History and Philosophy of Science . Role: referee . journal article referee report. 03/15/2015 - 09/05/2015
  • Philosophy of Science (journal). Role: referee . journal article referee report. 01/24/2015 - 07/30/2015
  • Philosophical Quarterly. Role: journal article referee. referee report. 12/2014 - 01/2015
  • Synthese (journal). Role: referee. journal article referee report. 06/29/2014 - 12/09/2015
  • Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Role: editorial board member. Editorial board, Philosophy of Biology section. 05/2014 - present
  • Philosophy of Science Association. Role: Program committee member. Program Committee, 2014 meeting and published conference proceedings. 04/2014 - 01/2016
  • British Journal of Philosophy of Science. Role: journal referee. journal article referee report. 02/2014 - 03/2015
  • Center for Energy and Environmental Research in the Human Sciences, Rice University. Member, Steering Committee. 01/2013 - 07/2014
  • Committee on the Underrepresentation of Women in Philosophy, Rice University Philosophy Department. Workshop co-coordinator (2013-2014). 01/2013 - 04/2014
  • Cultures of Energy. Participant, Mellon-Sawyer Seminar. 08/2012 - 07/2013
  • Religion in Public Life Program (Rice University). Participant, seminars and workshops. 10/2011 - 03/2013
  • Cultures of Energy Working Group (Rice University). Member. 08/2011 - 07/2012
  • Humanities Research Center Financial Advisory Committee (Rice University) . Member. 08/2010 - 07/2013
  • Graduate Council (Rice University). Comittee member. 08/2009 - 07/2010
  • Cultural Studies of Science and Technology workshop (Rice University). Workshop Coordinator. 01/2009 - 07/2012
  • Secular Students of Rice (Rice University). Faculty Sponsor. 09/2008 - 05/2009
  • Scientia Institute (Rice University). Organizing committee member (AY2008-09) Program committee member (AY2009-10) Junior member (AY2013-14). 08/2008 - 07/2014
  • Jones College (Rice University). Faculty Associate. 08/2008 - 07/2013

Internal Service

  • Associate Chair. 07/01/2023 - present. Department service.
  • RPT committee. member, 07/01/2023 - present. Department service.
  • Hiring Committee (post-doctoral fellow). member, 04/2023 - 05/2023. Department service.
  • Best Graduate Paper award committee. member, 02/02/2023 - 02/20/2023. Department service.
  • College of Humanities RPT Committee (Fall 2022-present). RPT committee member, 07/01/2022 - present. College service.
  • Academic Senate Representative (Fall 2022-Spring 2023). 07/01/2022 - 06/30/2023. University service.
  • Department diversity committee (Fall 2022-present). committee member, 07/01/2022 - 06/30/2023. Department service.
  • College of Humanities Diversity Task Force . member, 01/2020 - 06/30/2021. College service.
  • Associate Chair. 01/01/2020 - 06/30/2020. Department service.
  • Associate Chair, Philosophy Department (AY2019-2020) . Associate Chair, 07/01/2019 - 06/30/2020. Department service.
  • College of Humanities Diversity Task Force (AY2019-2020). member, 07/01/2019 - 06/30/2020. College service.
  • Steering Committee, Utah Philosophy of Science Modules project (June 2019-). Steering Committee Member, 06/2019 - 04/2020. Department service.
  • Chair, Subcommittee on Promotion and Tenure (F2018). subcommittee chair, 08/2018 - 11/2018. Department service.
  • Undergraduate Student Committee . member, 07/01/2017 - 12/31/2019. Department service.
  • Faculty Awards Committee . member, 07/01/2017 - 06/30/2018. College service.
  • GRF Fellowship Application Committee. member, 01/09/2017 - 07/01/2017. University service.
  • Graduate Committee. member, Graduate Fellowship advisor, 01/2016 - 12/31/2017. Department service.
  • Career Development Committee. member, 01/2016 - 07/01/2017. College service.
  • Career Development Committee. Member, 07/01/2015 - 06/30/2017. College service.
  • Graduate Committee. Member, Fellowships Coordinator, 07/01/2015 - 06/30/2017. Department service.
  • Recruitment/Hiring. Member, 07/01/2015 - 06/30/2017. Department service.

Honors & Awards

  • Sabbatical (AY 2021-2022). University of Utah, 04/2021
  • Career Champions Award, University of Utah, Student Career Development (Spring 2020). University of Utah, 04/2020
  • University Research Council Faculty Fellow Award for 2018-2019 Teaching leave Spring 2019. University of Utah, 01/2018
  • International Travel Grant. College of Humanities, University of Utah , 05/2017
  • Research Travel Award (Spring 2017). Center for Latin American Studies, University of Utah, 03/15/2017
  • International Travel Grant. College of Humanities, 04/07/2016
  • Scholar’s Award ('Collaborative Explanation'). National Science Foundation, 07/01/2014
  • Choice Award for Outstanding Academic Titles (for Philosophy of Stem Cell Biology) . Choice Magazine, 01/2014
  • Faculty Innovation Fund Research Fellowship. Humanities Research Center, Rice University, 01/2010
  • Collaborative Research Fellowship. Humanities Research Center, Rice University , 08/2009
  • Doctoral Dissertation Improvement Grant. National Science Foundation, 07/01/2006
  • Mikal Lynn Sousa Award for Excellence in Graduate Scholarship. Indiana University, 04/2006
  • Norwood Russell Hanson Prize. Department of History and Philosophy of Science, Indiana University , 01/2005
  • Summa cum laude, Highest Honors. Williams College, 06/1992
  • Howard Hughes Predoctoral Fellowship (1993-1997). Howard Hughes Medical Institute, 03/1992

Affiliations

  • Philosophy of Science Association (PSA), Member, 09/2000 - present
  • International Society for History, Philosophy and Social Studies of Biology (ISHPSSB), Member, 09/2000 - present
  • American Philosophical Association (APA), Member, 08/2006 - present
  • International Society for History of Philosophy of Science (HOPOS), Member, 06/2008 - 06/2010
  • Philosophy of Science Association Women’s Caucus (PSA Women's Caucus), Member, 11/2008 - present
  • Society for Philosophy of Science in Practice (SPSP), Member, 02/2009 - present
  • International Society for Stem Cell Research (ISSCR), Member, 04/2009 - present
  • European Philosophy of Science Association (EPSA), Member, 11/2009 - 11/2011
  • Joint Caucus of Socially Engaged Philosophers and Historians of Science (JCSEPHS), Member, 11/2012 - present