The UC Irvine Logic & Philosophy of Science (LPS) Summer Development Program welcomed its fourth cohort this summer, bringing 15 undergraduates to campus August 11-15 for an intensive exploration of graduate-level logic & philosophy of science topics.

Funded by the National Science Foundation, the program was launched in 2022 by UC Irvine professor Lauren Ross to expand access to graduate-level opportunities in logic and philosophy of science, particularly for students from underrepresented backgrounds.

“Resources and information about graduate school are not accessible to many students, especially when it comes to areas of study such as logic and philosophy of science,” Ross says. “This program aims to provide these resources - insight into different research areas, the grad school application process, styles of argumentative writing, and life in graduate school and academia.”

This year’s curriculum featured seminars from eight LPS faculty on topics ranging from the philosophy behind dark matter to proxy battles in science, with additional sessions on causation and explanation in science, formal epistemology, scientific realism, logic, and philosophy of mathematics. Graduate students also played a fundamental role, delivering “flash talks” on their research, hosting an informational panel, and offering candid advice on navigating academia. Two LPS Ph.D. students, Jaehyun Lee and Ryan Chen, helped organize the weeklong program.

For participants such as Scripps College junior Abby Minin, the experience proved transformative.

“Programs like this help students envision themselves as part of an academic community they might previously have known little about,” she says.

She learned about the LPS Summer Development Program while attending a talk by UCI LPS professor Cailin O’Connor at Scripps earlier in the year.

“At the time, I didn’t know anything about LPS. I wasn’t even sure that I wanted to pursue philosophy in graduate school,” she says. “As I learned about the research at LPS, I realized I had found a program working on the questions I’m most excited to explore in my own academic career.”

Applying to the summer program, Minin says, was “a no-brainer.”

“I knew it would be an invaluable opportunity to connect with LPS graduate students and faculty and learn more about their research. During the program, I learned not only about LPS research, but also about the graduate program, life as a graduate student, and the application process,” she adds. “One thing that stood out to me was the openness of the students and faculty and their willingness to suggest readings, answer questions, and offer other guidance. In particular, the graduate students readily offered candid advice about choosing graduate programs, seeking out mentorship, and overcoming the challenges of graduate school.” 

University of Toronto student Athaya Kiyasah agrees: “I did not expect to gain so much information about graduate schools in philosophy.”

“It was really nice talking to other participants and graduate students about my research interests and have them recommend departments with strengths in philosophy of psychiatry, philosophy of psychology, or even philosophy of mind and general philosophy of science,” she says. “I also had the opportunity to ask current LPS graduate students directly about their experiences in the LPS Ph.D. program and gained insights about it beyond what I can find on the internet. Because of these conversations, I got to form a better picture of the kind of school and research that I think is suitable for me both personally and academically, which I really am thankful for.”

She also appreciated the program’s unique emphasis on blending scientific and philosophical approaches.

"Coming from a mix of a science and philosophy background, I'm really interested in learning how to combine both philosophy and science to pursue my diverse academic interests. I have read papers and attended workshops where psychologists present differing views, such as whether depression is a result of purely biological or purely behavioral causes, and I did not know which side I should believe and follow," she says. "Through this program, I learned that one of the roles of a philosopher of science is perhaps not so much to 'resolve' the battle and decide who is right, but rather, describe the current battle itself so scientists and everyone involved in the topic can gain a clear view on the debates that are currently going on."

As the program heads into its fifth year, Ross is hopeful its continued operation will inspire more students from a variety of backgrounds to pursue graduate work in logic and philosophy of science.

-Heather Ashbach, UCI Social Sciences
-pictured are the participants in this year’s cohort: Rianna Herzlinger, Jonas Amaya, Abigail Minin, Ennyo Yasugi, Sandiza Emu, Kabeer Haider, Julio Silva-Cespedes, Alfonso Perales, Juls Altman, Hongjia Ren, Athaya Kiyasah, Arushi Pattar, Carina Laventure, Avvai Chadrasekaran, and Avery Hughes. Organizers: Lauren Ross, Jaehyun Lee, and Ryan Chen. Courtesy of Luis Fonseca, UCI Social Sciences.