I received HxA’s 2024 Open Inquiry Award for Education for my work developing Dangerous Ideas in Science and Society—a course that teaches students to navigate diverse, polarizing viewpoints through constructive disagreement. I’m a faculty member in philosophy and Dietrich College Artificial Intelligence and Education Fellow at Carnegie Mellon University. My research uses AI, educational technology, philosophy, and cognitive science to improve reasoning, communication, and understanding across moral and political divides. An award-winning lecturer, I’ve spoken to a wide range of audiences—from faculty and administrators to policymakers, think tanks, and TEDx. My work is published in Science Advances, Nature Science of Learning, Cognition, and the Review of Philosophy and Psychology. I hold a Ph.D. from Princeton University, with expertise in the psychology of reasoning, moral psychology, ethics, and the philosophy of cognitive science.
Engagement as an HxA Member:
Presented at HxA Virtual Event, Summit, or Conference
Published on HxA: The Blog
Guest on HxA Podcast
HxA Writers Group Member or Veteran
Active Member of an HxCommunity
Active Member of an HxA Campus Community
Faculty Fellow at HxA Center for Academic Pluralism
Speaker's Title and Institutional/Organizational Affiliation:
AI and Education fellow and philosophy professor at Carnegie Mellon University
Event Type :
Lecture/Presentation
Fireside Chat
Book Talk
Constitution Day Event
Classroom Visit
Workshop
Podcast
Debate, Forum, or HxConversation
Speaking Topics - List up to 5 specific topics or titles, each separated by a semicolon:
Promoting civil discourse on campus, AI for social good, improving reasoning and communication, teaching controversial material in college, reforming college DEI
Blackout Dates (Dates speaker is unavailable, Days/Month/Year):
NA
Distance Willing to Travel:
Any/No Limits to Travel Radius
Scholarly Area:
Education
Modality of Event :
In Person and/or Virtual
Willingness to be recorded:
Willing
Speaking Fee (Not including travel/lodging expenses):
Other (Contact Speaker for Fee)
Recent Appearance (1 of 5) -title, host institution, year:
Beyond civility: Honing reason to create safe spaces for dangerous ideas, Inaugural 'Engaging Across Viewpoints Lecture', Carleton College, Hosted by the Office of the President and the Division of Inclusion, Equity, and Community, 2024
Recent Appearance (2 of 5) -title, host institution, year:
Harnessing AI to support constructive disagreement on campus: A practical tool for educators, Heterodox Academy Member Workshop, 2024
Recent Appearance (3 of 5) -title, host institution, year:
Teaching dangerous ideas in dangerous times: Empirical results and hands-on lessons from Carnegie Mellon, Heterodox Academy Chicago, 2024
Recent Appearance (4 of 5) -title, host institution, year:
AI discussion facilitation to enhance group deliberation and debate, The Open Forum for AI, 2024
Recent Appearance (5 of 5) -title, host institution, year:
Defeating Hank McBort (Or, how to curb self-censorship, increase inclusivity, promote resilience, and have productive discussions in public policy classrooms), McCourt School of Public Policy, Georgetown University, 2023
Link to Speaker's Professional Website (to include sample writings and more extensive bio):
www.simoncullen.org