Char Brecevic

*Note: This is the bio that was used on the Lab’s site during the fellowship year (2021–22). There may be newer versions available.

Char Brecevic is a Ph.D. candidate in the History and Philosophy of Science (HPS) Program and graduate minor in the Gender Studies Program at the University of Notre Dame. Her research is located at the intersections of philosophy of medicine, theories of representation, and social values in scientific practice. Her dissertation addresses the question of whether patient nonadherence with medical advice is purely a matter of having the right kind of knowledge and the right kind of resources to act on that knowledge. To answer this question, she explores the role of imagination in facilitating and inhibiting health behaviors in patients diagnosed with chronic medical conditions, as well as the role of imagination in mediating the relationships among patients and medical professionals. Her other research interests include the use of social kinds in scientific research, responsible innovation, and environmental philosophy. 

Char received her B.S. in Biochemistry and B.A. in Philosophy at the University of Colorado. Upon graduating, she worked as a Biomass Analytical Research Technician at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) analyzing the composition of feedstocks used to produce biofuels. After repeated reminders that she was a strange scientist for asking so many philosophical questions, she made the decision to pursue a graduate education centered on philosophy of science.

At the University of Notre Dame, Char has served as a fellow with the Developing Virtues in the Practice of Science (DVPS) Project, the John J. Reilly Fellowship Program, and the University Presidential Fellowship in Humanities and Social Sciences. She is currently a fellow with the Responsible Innovation Fellowship (RIF) Program. Her research has been funded by the Institute for Scholarship in the Liberal Arts (ISLA), the Graduate Student Union (GSU), and the John J. Reilly Center for Science, Technology, and Values. In addition, Char has a strong interest in evidence-based pedagogy and enjoys welcoming those outside of academic philosophy into the fold of philosophical discussions. She has received an Outstanding Graduate Student Teaching Award for her service as a graduate teaching assistant and has been an instructor of record for courses in philosophy of medicine, sustainability and ecofeminism, and technology and innovation ethics.