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Neil McDonnell

Neil McDonnell

Lord Kelvin Adam Smith Research Fellow, University of Glasgow

Neil McDonnell holds the Lord Kelvin Adam Smith Research Fellowship in Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality at the University of Glasgow.

He is also co-director of the Immersive Experience Artslab at Glasgow University.

He was previously a visiting researcher at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s (NASA) Software Assurance and Formal Methods program.

He has written about philosophical issues around virtual and augment reality and the metaphysics of causation.

Education
PhD Philosophy, University of Glasgow & Macquarie University · MLitt Philosophy, University of Glasgow · MA Philosophy, University of Glasgow · Metaphysics (2020 -), Medical Visualisation (2019 -), Philosophy of Mind (2015), Epistemology (2016), Contrastivism: Epistemology & Metaphysics (2016). · Introduction to Metaphysics (2020 -), Introduction to Epistemology (2016), Philosophy of Mind (2015), Epistemology (2016), Metaphysics (2014).
Topics
Philosophy · The Philosophy of Virtual Reality & Augmented Reality · The Metaphysics of Causation

Talks & video12

  • Neil McDonnell On The Puzzle of Virtual TheftVimeo
  • The Privileged Context. Causal Distinctions: Specificity and Beyond, Cologne.2020
  • Causation, Normativity, and AI. Conference on Artificial Morality, Centre for Artificial Intelligence Research, Agder.2020
  • Virtual Fictionalism and the puzzle of virtual theft? (with Nathan Wildman). The Law and Ontology, Manchester & University of Glasgow Humanities Public Lecture.2019
  • Virtual Reality: Digital or Fictional” (with Nathan Wildman). European Society for Aesthetics, Maribor.2018
  • Immersive Technology in Teaching. University of Reading, & Online Pedagogy Conference, University of Edinburgh.2018
  • Causation’s Two Masters. Causation, Explanation, Conditionals, Munich.2017
  • Virtual Causation. Philosophy of Virtual and Augmented Reality, Glasgow.2017
  • Transitivity and Proportion in Causation. National Institute of Aerospace, NASA.2017
  • The Non-occurrence of Events. Hamburg Workshop on David Lewis.2016
  • Causal Exclusion and the Limits of Proportionality. Society for the Metaphysics of Science Conference, Geneva.2016
  • Making a Difference and Making a Contribution. Joint Meeting of the North and South Philosophy Societies.2015

Selected publications8

  1. 2020The Puzzle of Virtual Theft (with Nathan Wilidman) Analysis.
  2. 2019Virtual Reality: Digital or Fictional? (with Nathan Wildman) Disputatio.
  3. 2019The Non-occurrence of Events. Philosophy and Phenomenological Research.
  4. 2018Transitivity and Proportion in Causation. Synthese.
  5. 2018Making a Contribution and Making a Difference. American Philosophical Quarterly.
  6. 2017Causal Exclusion and The Limits of Proportionality. Philosophical Studies.
  7. 2016Events and Their Counterparts. Philosophical Studies.
  8. 2015The Deviance in Deviant Causal Chains. Thought: A Journal of Philosophy.

Positions & affiliations7

  • University of Glasgow
  • 2017 - Present, Lord Kelvin Adam Smith Fellow for VR & AR University of Glasgow Philosophy, Centre for the Study of Perceptual Experience
  • Aug-Sept 2017. Visiting Researcher, NASA Software Assurance and Formal Methods in Safety Engineering programme. Host: C. Michael Holloway; Sponsor: National Institute of Aerospace.
  • Jan-Aug 2017. Research Fellow, University of Glasgow, Philosophy of Augmented and Virtual Reality Project
  • Sept-Dec 2016. University Teacher, University of Glasgow, Teaching undergraduate and postgraduate Epistemology. Dissertations Convenor.
  • 2015-2016. Postdoctoral Research Associate, Universität Hamburg. Emmy Noether Group, Ontology After Quine.
  • 2014-2015. Postdoctoral Research Associate, University of Glasgow, Glasgow Emergence Project.

Credentials & fellowships1

  • Acta Analytica, Analysis, American Philosophical Quarterly, Australasian Journal of Philosophy, Dialectica, Disputatio, Ergo, Erkenntnis, MIND, Oxford University Press, Philosopher’s Imprint, Philosophical Quarterly, Philosophical Studies, Synthese, Thought: A Journal of Philosophy.

Honours & awards13

  • 2021. GKE Fund: VR Teaching Collaboration with Education Scotland, £15,000.
  • 2021. Shortlisted: Scottish Knowledge Exchange Awards, Powerful Partnership; UG Engagement Awards, Best Business Collaboration.
  • 2020. Shortlisted: Times Higher Education Technological or Digital Innovation of the Year for Project Mobius/Edify
  • 2020. ESRC Collaborative Doctoral Award (joint with Sublime) for PhD Studentship.
  • 2019. AHRC Collaborative Doctoral Award (joint with NASA) for PhD Studentship.
  • 2019. ESRC Collaborative Doctoral Award (joint with Sublime) for PhD Studentship.
  • 2018. Project Mobius (£911,000, Innovate UK) with fellow applicants Professor Fiona Macpherson, Sublime Digital.
  • 2017. National Institute of Aerospace Visiting Researcher at NASA, working on Safety Engineering Systems with the Software Assurance and Formal Methods Research Group (c. £8,000)
  • 2017. University of Glasgow Knowledge Exchange Fellowship (£15,000) with fellow applicant Professor Fiona Macpherson.
  • 2016. New Directions in the Study of Mind fellowship (£7,000) with fellow applicant Professor Fiona Macpherson.
  • 2016. Prize “Best Essay by Untenured Faculty” ($200), North Carolina Philosophy Society.
  • 2014. Durham Emergence Project Fellowship (£50,000) with fellow applicants Dr Umut Baysan, Dr Stephan Leuenberger and Professor Fiona Macpherson.
  • 2010. International Macquarie Research Excellence PhD Scholarship joint with AHRC PhD Scholarship.