Before pursuing an academic career, I was a science journalist for 10 years, which included vetting claims made by U.S. politicians and misinformation on social media for FactCheck.org during the Obama and first Trump Administrations. Informed by this experience, my academic work contributes to debates in philosophy of science and political philosophy about free speech, public reason, and the role of values in science. Core to my research program is the idea that responsiveness should guide scientists and journalists in how they communicate to the public. Such openness to hearing and acknowledging others' perspectives, I argue, is essential to both scientific progress and democratic decision-making. I’m also developing arguments for revising Section 230, the U.S. law that absolves social media companies of liability for the content users post to their platforms. 

 

As an educator, I aim to help cultivate not just knowledgeable individuals, but also well-rounded democratic citizens. To do so, I create a classroom environment where students see their differences and disagreements both with me and their fellow classmates as learning opportunities, not fuel for animosity. Indeed, this pedagogy ties into my research program's goal of envisioning how we can achieve a responsive communicative environment on a national scale. This is a testament to my commitment to the teacher-scholar model of academia: My research enriches my teaching and mentorship just as much as my teaching and mentorship enriches my research. In short, I see students as collaborators, not disciples. ​​​

 

I enjoy teaching advanced courses in my area of expertise, such as a course called Science Communication in Democracy, which was featured in an article in Penn's newsletter. I'm also adept and eager to teach an array of introductory courses, including Introduction to Philosophy, Philosophy of Science, Political Philosophy, Bioethics, Environmental Ethics, Ethics, Epistemology, American Pragmatism, and more. 

 

When I'm not teaching or conducting research, I foster collaboration between journalists and philosophers. This has included organizing a session on the Philosophy of Science Journalism at the 2022 Philosophy of Science Association Conference and a Science in Democracy Series at the University of Pennsylvania in 2023. It has also included helping a fellow at the Oxford Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism to write a report on the role of science journalism in democracy. 

 

For my full CV, see here (last updated Aug. 2026). Please feel free to contact me at vanessa.schipani[at]unc.edu.