Welcome 2025-2026 Postdoctoral Fellows
The McCoy Family Center for Ethics in Society is pleased to welcome our incoming postdoctoral fellows for 2025-2026. In the coming year, they will teach ethics courses, mentor undergraduates, engage in research, and contribute to our efforts to foster ethical consideration about real-world issues.
The Center greeted its first cohort of postdoctoral fellows in 2007. Since then, dozens of fellows have played a vital role in bringing ethical reflection across campus. We offer fellowships that are based at the Center, and in collaboration with partners across campus to support interdisciplinary ethics research and teaching. Our fellows go on to faculty positions around the world.
Jovy Chan
General Ethics Fellow
Jovy Chan completed her PhD in Philosophy at the University of Toronto. Her dissertation examines how our instinct to herd and conform manifests on social media, focusing specifically on how misinformation and bad norms spread online. Her future research will turn to look at generative AIs and how their widespread use would impact our epistemic environment and our collective pursuit of knowledge. Jovy is also interested in thinking about our right to free speech, particularly on what it means to protect the right of mutual communication between two willing parties. Prior to pursuing philosophy, Jovy worked as a solicitor in Hong Kong.
Jennifer Chien
Embedded Ethics Fellow
Jennifer Chien earned a PhD in Computer Science from the University of California, San Diego, and a bachelor's degree in Computer Science from Wellesley College. They were a recipient of the Graduate Fellowship for STEM Diversity. Jennifer is an interdisciplinary researcher focused on preserving user agency across AI/ML pipelines by linking technical decisions with their social consequences. Their work connects technical decisions with social and societal consequences to characterize, measure, and mitigate disparities in autonomy and support safer, more responsible AI. This includes exploring instrumental, cognitive and affective, and epistemic forms of agency. At UCSD, they served as President of Graduate Women in Computing, leading mentorship, outreach, and community-building initiatives and received the Doctoral Awards for Contributions to Diversity and to Service and Leadership, as well as the Xilinx Women in Technology University Grant. Jennifer is an Embedded Ethics Fellow in partnership with HAI and the Computer Science department.
Alexander Martin Mussgnug
Interdisciplinary Ethics Fellow
Alex is joining the Center as an Interdisciplinary Ethics Fellow in partnership with Apple University. Alexander Martin Mussgnug is a final-year doctoral researcher at the University of Edinburgh’s Centre for Technomoral Futures. Before pursuing his PhD in philosophy, Alexander completed an MA in bioethics, tech ethics, and science policy at Duke University, as well as a BSc in economics at the University of Konstanz. He also worked as a data scientist in retail, automotive, and banking. Alexander’s research lies at the intersection of the philosophy of science and AI ethics, where he examines how AI applications can be both epistemically reliable and ethically beneficial. His work emphasizes the importance of understanding AI within the context of established practices, recognizing the cultivated wisdom and accumulated experience they embody. Among others, Alexander’s studies and research have been supported by the Baillie Gifford PhD Studentship in AI Ethics, the Duke Science and Society Leadership Award, and a Fulbright Scholarship.
Justin Shin
Embedded Ethics Fellow
Justin Shin is completing his PhD in the History and Philosophy of Science from the University of Pittsburgh. His research focuses on ethical and epistemic issues in mathematics and science applied to law and public policy. More specifically, he is currently thinking about recent attempts to legislate algorithmic transparency, statistical evidence of discrimination, and the history of conversion therapy. His dissertation focused on fairness and justice through the distribution of causal influence amongst stakeholders. He argues that current problems in discrimination law and algorithmic justice can be addressed by protecting a stakeholder's ability to have limited control over their environment. Before pursuing his PhD, Justin earned a BA in Mathematics and Philosophy at Bard College under a Distinguished Scientist Scholarship. Justin is an Embedded Ethics Fellow in partnership with HAI.