WENDY S. PARKER
[email protected]
Department of Philosophy
Durham University
50 Old Elvet
Durham DH1 3HN
UK
Department of Philosophy
Ohio University
Ellis Hall 202
Athens, OH 45701
USA
Employment
Reader in Philosophy, Durham University, 2013-present
Adjunct Associate Professor, Department of Philosophy, Ohio University, 2013-present
Associate Professor, Department of Philosophy, Ohio University, 2011-2013
Assistant Professor, Department of Philosophy, Ohio University, 2006-2011
Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Science Studies Program, University of California, San Diego, 2005-06
Postdoctoral Fellow, Center for Philosophy and History of Science, Boston University, 2004-05
AMS/UCAR Congressional Science Fellow, U.S. Senate Environment & Public Works Committee, 2003-04
Education
University of Pittsburgh
Ph.D. History and Philosophy of Science, 2003
M.A. Philosophy, 2002
University of Washington, Seattle
Graduate Program, Department of Atmospheric Sciences, 1998-99 (on leave from Pittsburgh)
Northern Illinois University
B.A. Philosophy (with university honors), 1997
B.S. Meteorology (with university honors), 1997
Areas of Specialization and Competence
AOS: Philosophy of Science (especially computer simulation, climate science, science & policy)
AOC: Ethics, Environmental Philosophy, Philosophy of Social Science, Logic, History of Meteorology
Selected Grants, Fellowships and Awards
National Science Foundation Standard Grant SES-1127710, 2011-2014.
 Title: Data Assimilation, Reanalysis & the Construction of Weather and Climate ($124,595)
National Science Foundation Standard Grant SES-0824287, 2008-2011.
 Title: Ensemble Climate Prediction: Key Questions and Controversies ($124,136)
Northern Illinois University (NIU) Liberal Arts & Sciences Distinguished Alumni Award, 2011
University of Pittsburgh Andrew Mellon Fellowship, 2002-03
National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship, 1997-2000
NIU Lincoln Laureate Award (top university senior), 1997
NIU Presidential Honors Science Scholarship, 1995-97
National Science Foundation National Science Scholar, 1993-96
Publications – Books and Edited Volumes
de Regt, H.W. and W.S. Parker (Eds.) (to appear) Simulation, Understanding and Visualization.
Special issue of Perspectives on Science.
Publications – Journal Articles
Parker, W.S. (to appear) Simulation and Understanding in the Study of Weather and Climate.
Perspectives on Science special issue on Simulation, Understanding and Visualization.
Parker, W.S. (2013) Values and Uncertainty in Climate Prediction, Revisited.
Studies in History and Philosophy of Science. DOI information: 10.1016/j.shpsa.2013.11.003.
Parker, W.S. (2013) Getting (even more) Serious about Similarity.
Biology and Philosophy. DOI 10.1007/s10539-013-9406-y.
Parker, W.S. (2013) Ensemble Modeling, Uncertainty and Robust Predictions.
WIREs Climate Change 4:213-223.
Parker, W.S. (2011) When Climate Models Agree: The Significance of Robust Model Predictions.
Philosophy of Science 78(4): 579-600.
Parker, W.S. (2010) Predicting Weather and Climate: Uncertainty, Ensembles and Probability.
Studies in History and Philosophy of Modern Physics 41: 263-272.
Parker, W.S. (2009) Does Matter Really Matter? Computer Simulations, Experiments, and Materiality.
Synthese 169(3): 483-496.
Parker, W.S. (2008) Franklin, Holmes and the Epistemology of Computer Simulation.
International Studies in the Philosophy of Science 22(2): 165-183.
Parker, W.S. (2008) Computer Simulation through an Error-Statistical Lens.
Synthese 163(3): 371-384.
Parker, W.S. (2006) Understanding Pluralism in Climate Modeling.
Foundations of Science 11(4): 349-368.
Yuter, S.E. and W.S. Parker (2001) Rain Measurement on Ship Revisited.
Journal of Applied Meteorology 40(6): 1003-1018.
Publications – Book Contributions, Conference Proceedings and Symposia
Parker, W.S. (submitted) The Significance of Robust Climate Projections.
Revised version of Parker (2011)When Climate Models Agree. For E.A. Lloyd and E. Winsberg
(Eds.) Philosophical and Conceptual Issues in Climate Modeling.
Parker, W.S. (to appear) Climate Change and Social Science.
In N. Cartwright and E. Montuschi (Eds.) New Topics in Philosophy of Social Science. Oxford
University Press. Expected 2013.
Parker, W.S. (2013) Computer Simulation.
In S. Psillos and M. Curd (Eds.) The Routledge Companion to Philosophy of Science, 2nd Edition.
Parker, W.S. (2011) Communicating Science: Moral Responsibility in Theory and Practice.
In D. Scott & B. Francis (Eds.), Debating Science: Deliberation, Values and the Common Good.
Parker, W.S. (2011) Scientific models and adequacy-for-purpose.
Modern Schoolman: A Quarterly Journal of Philosophy (Proceedings of the 2010 Henle
Conference on Experimental & Theoretical Knowledge) 87(3-4), 285-293
Parker, W.S. (2010) Whose Probabilities? Predicting Climate Change with Ensembles of Models.
Proceedings of PSA08. Philosophy of Science 77(5): 985-997.
Parker, W.S. (2010) Comparative Process Tracing and Climate Change Fingerprints.
Proceedings of PSA08. Philosophy of Science 77(5): 1083-1095.
Parker, W.S. (2009) Confirmation and Adequacy-for-Purpose in Climate Modeling.
Proceedings of the Joint Sessions, Aristotelian Society Supplementary Volume 83: 233-249.
Parker, W.S. (2009) Distinguishing Real Results from Instrumental Artifacts: The Case of the Missing Rain.
In G. Hon, J. Schickore, and F. Steinle (Eds.), Going Amiss in Experimental Research (Boston Studies in
the Philosophy of Science, Vol. 267).
Publications – Other
Parker, W.S. (accepted) Review of Petersen, A. (2012) Simulating Nature.
For Journal of the American Statistical Association (JASA).
Parker, W.S. (2012) Computer simulation and philosophy of science.
Review of Winsberg, E. (2010) Science in the Age of Computer Simulation. Metascience 21(1): 111-114.
Parker, W.S. (2010) Multi Model Ensembles, Metrics & Probabilities.
In T. Stocker, Q. Dahe, G.K. Plattner, M. Tignor, P. Midgley (Eds.), Intergovernmental Panel on
Climate Change (IPCC) Expert Meeting on Assessing and Combining Multi Model Climate
Projections. IPCC Working Group I Technical Support Unit, Bern, Switzerland: 81-82.
Parker, W.S. (2010) An Instrument for What? Digital Computers, Simulation and Scientific Practice.
Spontaneous Generations: A Journal for the History and Philosophy of Science 4: 39-44. Available
at http://jps.library.utoronto.ca/index.php//spontaneousgenerations.
Invited Talks
“What does model agreement really tell us?”
Institute for Atmospheric and Climate Science. ETH. Zurich, Switzerland. December 2013.
“Measuring via computer simulation?”
Center for Science Studies. Aarhus University. November 2013.
“Rationales for probabilistic climate modeling”
Probabilistic Modeling in Science and Philosophy. Bern, Switzerland. October 2013.
Invited summer school lectures.
Vienna Summer University (VISU) – Climate Studies. Vienna, Austria. July 2013.
“Simulation, Measurement & the Construction of Global Climate Datasets”
Bergen Philosophy of Science Workshop. Bergen, Norway. June 2013.
“Methodological Challenges in Climate Science”
Philosophy and Climate Science 3. Bristol, UK. June 2013.
“Beyond Prediction: The Computer as ‘Inductive Device’ in the Study of Weather and Climate”
Rotman Speaker Series. University of Western Ontario. April 2013.
“Data Assimilation, Measurement and the Construction of Global Climate Datasets”
Dimensions of Measurement. Bielefeld, Germany. March 2013.
“Let’s not confirm our models…”
Center for Multiscale Modeling of Atmospheric Processes (CMMAP). Boulder, CO. January 2013.
“Atmospheric models as observing instruments?”
American Philosophical Association Eastern Division Meeting. December 2012.
“Values and Uncertainty in Climate Prediction, Revisited.”
Philosophy Department Colloquium. University of Cincinnati. December 2012.
“Let’s not confirm our models…”
Physics Department Colloquium. Ohio University. October 2012.
“Models, Measurement and the Construction of Global Climate Datasets”
28th Boulder Conference on the History and Philosophy of Science. September 2012.
“Values, Bias and the Estimation of Uncertainty in Climate Modelling” (plenary)
VaNiM 2012: Values and Norms in Modeling. Eindhoven, The Netherlands. June 2012.
“The Target of Testing: Models, Adequacy and the Aims of Science”
History & Philosophy of Science Colloquium Series. Stanford University. May 2012.
“Three misconceptions about climate change”
3rd Annual Spring Meteorology Symposium. Ohio University. April 2012.
“Beyond Error Bars: Climate Modeling, Uncertainty & Epistemic Responsibility”
Philosophy / History & Sociology of Science Colloquium. University of Pennsylvania. March 2012.
“The Target of Testing: Models, Adequacy and the Aims of Science”
Annual Lecture Series, Center for Philosophy of Science. University of Pittsburgh. March 2012.
Author meets critic session. For E. Winsberg (2010) Science in the Age of Computer Simulation.
American Philosophical Association – Eastern Division Meeting. December 2011.
“Experiment and Simulation: Roads Traveled and New Directions” (keynote)
Philosophy of Scientific Experimentation 2. Konstanz, Germany. October 2011.
“Climate modeling for decision support: Doing our best with uncertainty”
Geography Department Colloquium. Ohio University. October 2011.
Geography Department Colloquium. Northern Illinois University. October 2011.
“Transparency revisited: The CRU emails, democratic accountability & scientific progress”
Boston Colloquium for Philosophy of Science. Boston University. September 2011.
“The Target of Testing: Models, Adequacy & Scientific Knowledge”
14th Congress of Logic, Philosophy & Methodology of Science (LMPS). Nancy, France. July 2011.
“Conveying uncertainty: Ownership, justification & robustness”
Climate science and climate change: Epistemological and methodological issues (Affiliated
symposium to the 14th Congress of LMPS). Nancy, France. July 2011.
“When climate models agree: The significance of robust model predictions” (plenary)
2011 Annual Conference of the British Society for the Philosophy of Science. Sussex, UK. July 2011.
“Making sense of climate ‘data’”
Making Sense of Data: Who and How? Exeter, UK. June 2011
“Simulation and understanding in the study of weather and climate”
Knowing and Understanding Through Computer Simulations. Paris, France. June 2011.
“Engaging climate science”
American Philosophical Association – Pacific Division Meeting. San Diego, CA. April 2011.
“Use of simulations and models for decision making: climate change” (keynote)
Epistemology of Modeling and Simulation. University of Pittsburgh. April 2011.
“Beyond Error Bars: Climate Modeling, Uncertainty & Epistemic Responsibility”
Philosophy Department Colloquium. Connecticut College. April 2011.
“Testing, Confirmation and Adequacy: What can climate models tell us?”
American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting. San Francisco, California. December 2010.
“The Target of Testing: Models, Adequacy & Scientific Knowledge”
History and Philosophy of Science Colloquium. Indiana University. October 2010.
“Geoengineering, Scientific Responsibility & Public Trust”
The Ethics of Geoengineering. Missoula, Montana. October 2010.
“Climate Change, Skepticism & Denialism”
Beyond Rationality II. Center for Intelligence and Security Studies. Oxford, Mississippi. July 2010.
“Confirmation and Testing of Scientific Models, Revisited” (plenary)
28th IUGG Conference on Mathematical Geophysics. Pisa, Italy. June 2010.
“Understanding Weather and Climate: The Roles of Simple and Complex Models”
Understanding and the Aims of Science. Leiden, The Netherlands. June 2010.
“Exploring the Methodological Map: Simulation, Experiment and Measurement” [Panel member]
Models and Simulation 4. University of Toronto, Canada. May 2010
“Models, Adequacy & Scientific Knowledge”
Henle Conference on Experimental and Theoretical Knowledge. St.Louis, Missouri. March 2010.
“What does it mean when climate models agree? Examining the significance of robust predictions”
History and Philosophy of Science Colloquium, University of Toronto. November 2009.
Philosophy Department Colloquium, University of Waterloo. November 2009
“Confirmation and Adequacy-for-Purpose in Climate Modeling” (plenary)
Joint Sessions of the Aristotelian Society & Mind Association. Norwich, UK. July 2009.
“Ethics & Policy-Relevant Science”
American Meteorological Society Summer Policy Colloquium. Washington, DC. June 2008.
“Ensembles, Robustness and Adequacy”
Distinguished Speaker Series, The Committee on History and Philosophy of Science. University
of Colorado, Boulder. January 2008.
“Hierarchies and Ensembles: Using Collections of Incompatible Models in Science”
Philosophy Department Colloquium. Purdue University, Indiana. November 2007.
“Do Climate Experts Have Special Moral Responsibilities?”
Institute for Applied and Professional Ethics. Ohio University. March 2006.
“Pluralism in Climate Modeling: From Scientific Uncertainty to Science for Policy”
Philosophy Department Colloquium. University of California, Santa Cruz. January 2006.
“Scientific Expertise in the Public Policy Process”
Boston Colloquium for Philosophy of Science. Boston University. May 2005.
“A Philosophical Look at Computer Simulation Modeling”
Climate Seminar Series. Massachusetts Institute of Technology. March 2005.
“What’s So Troubling about Computer Experiments?”
Philosophy Department Colloquium, University of Minnesota. February 2004.
Other Conference Talks
“Thinking about Metrics: Adequacy, Performance & Quality”
American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting. San Francisco, California. December 2010.
“The Context of Climate Science: Norms, Pressure and Progress”
Philosophy of Science Association Biennial Meeting. Montreal, Canada. November 2010.
“Ensembles, Metrics & Probabilities”
11th International Meeting on Statistical Climatology. Edinburgh, Scotland. July 2010.
“Simulation, Measurement & Reanalysis Datasets”
European Philosophy of Science Association Meeting. Amsterdam, The Netherlands. October 2009.
“Models, Metrics and the Prediction of Climate Change”
Models & Simulation 3. Charlottesville, VA. March 2009.
“Comparative Process Tracing and Climate Change Fingerprints”
Philosophy of Science Association (PSA) Biennial Meeting. Pittsburgh, PA. November 2008.
“How to Think About Models and Their Evaluation”
Confirmation, Induction and Science. London School of Economics. London, UK. March 2007.
“Why Computer Simulation Experiments are Not So Different from Material Experiments”
MEPHISTOS Graduate Student Conference. Madison, Wisconsin. March 2003.
Posters
“Models, Measurement and Reanalyses in Atmospheric Science”
American Geophysical Union 2013 Fall Meeting. San Francisco, California. December 2013.
“Multi-model ensembles, metrics and probabilities”
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Expert Meeting on Assessing and Combining
Multi-model Climate Projections. Boulder, Colorado. January 2010.
Courses Taught
Philosophical Issues in Contemporary Science (seminar)
Science, Values & Policy (seminar)
Climate Change: Science, Ethics, Policy (seminar)
Models and Simulation (seminar)
Philosophy of Social Science (seminar)
Introduction to Philosophy of Science
Environmental Ethics
Introduction to Ethics
Introduction to Symbolic Logic
Principles of Reasoning
Problem Solving: How Science Works
Professional Service
Grant Review
U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) Panels (multi-year service term)
FWF (Austrian Science Fund)
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Review Panel
Editorial Boards
The Reasoner
International Professional Organizations
Program Committee, 4th European Philosophy of Science Association (EPSA) Meeting. Helsinki, 2013
Program Committee, Philosophy of Science Association (PSA) Biennial Meeting. San Diego, 2012
Other Conference Program Committees
The Roles of Climate Models. Eindhoven, The Netherlands, 2013 (Co-organized with J. Katzav)
Models and Decisions. Munich, Germany, 2013
Models & Simulation 4,5. Montreal, Canada, 2010; Helsinki, Finland, 2012
Philosophy of Experiment 1,2,3. Pittsburgh, USA, 2010; Konstanz, Germany, 2011; Boulder, USA, 2012
University Committees
President’s Advisory Council on Sustainability Planning, Ohio University, 2009-2012
Dean’s Advisory Council, Honors Tutorial College, Ohio University, 2010
Environmental Studies Advisory Board, Ohio University, 2007-2013
Referee
BioScience, British Journal for the Philosophy of Science, Bulletin of the American Meteorological
Society, Climatic Change, Episteme, Ethics, Place & Environment, Historical Studies in the Natural
Sciences, Hypatia, International Studies in the Philosophy of Science, Journal of Climate, Mind, The
Monist, Oxford University Press, Philosophy & Technology, Philosophy of Science, Reviews of
Geophysics, Science Studies, Social Problems, Social Studies of Science, Studies in History and
Philosophy of Modern Physics, Studies in History and Philosophy of Science, Synthese, Topics in
Contemporary Philosophy.
References
Available upon request