Dr Milena Ivanova

Biography

I am Course Director in Philosophy and Senior Teaching Associate. My area of specialism is in philosophy of science and aesthetics. I am interested in the aesthetics of science, the automation of creativity and feminist perspectives on science and technology. These interests are reflected both in my research contributions and teaching initiatives. I have dedicated my career to developing and promoting education initiatives, working with students across different sectors, writing public philosophy, and developing accessible teaching methods.

As Course Director at University of Cambridge Professional and Continuing Education I oversee our Philosophy courses, developing accessible, innovative, contemporary and inclusive learning for all our candidates. Our courses offer candidates competence of classic literatures and contemporary discussions from leading scholars. I ensure we offer highest quality of part time teaching that suits the needs of diverse candidates and provide a supportive and encouraging learning community.

I was awarded my BSc and MA in History and Philosophy of Science and Technology at the University of Athens and my PhD in Philosophy at the University of Bristol. My Doctoral study was supported with fellowships from the British Society for Philosophy of Science and Royal Institute of Philosophy. Before joining the University of Cambridge, I held positions at the University of Sydney, Queensland University, and the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich.

Research topics

My research contributions have been across a number of literatures in philosophy of science. I have offered novel perspectives on the development of conventionalism and structural realism in my early work, then advanced a new research area focused on aesthetic dimension of scientific experimentation, and more recently started working on AI and creativity in science and art. My research has been recognised with a number of prizes, including the American Philosophical Association's Routledge, Taylor and Francis Prize for my article ‘What is a Beautiful Experiment?’, the American Philosophical Association's Public Philosophy Op-Ed Prize, the Institutional Strategy LMU Excellence Award, and the Sasakawa International Young Leader Award. My initiatives in broadening participation in higher education were also recognised by the American Philosophical Association Award for Diversity and Inclusiveness Initiatives.

Publications

Journal articles

Surprise in Science: A qualitative study, 2024
Beauty in Experiment: A qualitative analysis of aesthetic experiences in scientific practice, Studies in History and Philosophy of Science, 2024
What is a Beautiful Experiment? Erkenntnis, 2023
The Aesthetic of Experiments, Philosophy Compass, 2021
Reflections on the reception of Jean Perrin’s experiments by his contemporaries. HOPOS: The Journal of the International Society for the History of Philosophy of Science, 2020

Books

The Aesthetics of Scientific Experiments. Routledge., 2023
Duhem and Holism, Cambridge University Press, 2021
The Aesthetics of Science: Beauty, Imagination and Understanding, Routledge, 2020

Book chapters

Theory Virtues and Acceptance. In Scientific Theories and Philosophical Stances Themes from van Fraassen, ed. Michael Frauchiger., 2024
Scientific Progress and Aesthetic Values. In New Philosophical Perspectives on Scientific Progress, Routledge, ed. Yafeng Shan, 2023
Beauty, Truth and Understanding. The Aesthetics of Science: Beauty, Imagination and Understanding, ed. Steven French and Milena Ivanova, 2020
Methods in Science and Metaphysics. Routledge Handbook of Metametaphysics, ed. James Miller and Ricki Bliss, 2020

Electronic articles

Henri Poincaré. Bloomsbury Encyclopedia of Philosophers. Preprint, 2020