Kevin C. Elliott, professor of philosophy and member of the Lyman Briggs College Science and Society faculty group, was promoted to Red Cedar Distinguished Professor on March 1. This title is awarded by the Office of the Vice President for Research and Innovation and the Office of the Provost and is intended to recognize outstanding faculty who enhance the stature of MSU’s intellectual work to national and global prominence.
Elliott is jointly appointed in the Lyman Briggs College and the Department of Fisheries and Wildlife and has a courtesy appointment in the Department of Philosophy. He is an internationally recognized philosopher of science and practical ethics, particularly known for exploring how ethical and social values can and should inform scientific research.
Elliott is a leading scholar in the field of science and values, playing a significant role in shaping its theoretical framework. His scholarship addresses ethical and social values in science, including topics such as open science, conflicts of interest, environmental policy, diversity in science, public participation in science, and science communication. Elliott has authored four books, co-edited two others (with two more under contract), published over 100 articles and book chapters, and edited eight special sections or issues of scientific journals. His research has also been supported by multiple grants from the National Science Foundation.
In addition to his research, Elliott integrates his scholarship into his teaching, particularly in his LBC senior seminar, where he explores issues such as financial conflicts of interest in science, the reproducibility crisis in research, and the role of values in science and policy. His students often report that his class discussions prepare them for medical or graduate school interviews, and many have shared how their experiences after graduation resonate with the course content. Elliott has also mentored international graduate students, including PhD candidates from Brazil in 2022 and Germany in 2023, who came to MSU to collaborate with him on ethics and science projects.
Dean Kendra Spence Cheruvelil says, “I am extremely happy that Kevin is receiving this distinction. In addition to his research on societally important topics and his excellent teaching, Kevin positively impacts the LBC culture on a day-to-day basis as the college’s Faculty Excellence Advocate. He truly epitomizes the Red Cedar Professor.”
Elliott’s work extends beyond philosophy through interdisciplinary collaborations and science policy advising. Even among philosophers with such a distinguished research profile, his extensive engagement with science policy is particularly notable. He has contributed to working groups and committees for organizations such as the World Health Organization, the U.S. National Academy of Sciences, the National Institutes of Health, and the U.S. Global Change Research Program. In recognition of his contributions, he was elected as a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in 2023 and received a Humboldt Research Award in 2024, enabling an extended research stay in Germany.
In the award letter, Vice President Douglas Gage and Interim Provost Thomas Jeitschko wrote, “Your work as an applied ethicist, focusing on promoting scientific research that addresses our society’s grand challenges in an ethically responsible manner, is recognized both nationally and internationally. Your exceptional collaboration across disciplines and effective communication of your work to diverse audiences, beyond the scholarly philosophical community, is particularly noteworthy.”
This story originally appeared on the Lyman Briggs College website.
