Simon Cullen, co-creator of Sway and co-founder of Disagree Wisel

I received HxA’s 2024 Open Inquiry Award for Education for my work developing Dangerous Ideas in Science and Society—a course that helps students navigate polarizing viewpoints through constructive disagreement. I’m a Faculty Research Fellow at Heterodox Academy’s Segal Center for Academic Pluralism and a Visiting Research Professor of Civil Discourse and Artificial Intelligence at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s School of Civic Life and Leadership. Before joining UNC, I served as a faculty member, Dean’s Innovation Scholar, and AI and Education Fellow at Carnegie Mellon University. My research uses tools from AI, educational technology, philosophy, and cognitive science to strengthen reasoning and communication across moral and political divides.

An award-winning lecturer, I’ve spoken to audiences ranging from faculty, administrators, and students to policymakers, think tanks, and the Battle of Ideas. My work appears in Science Advances, Nature Science of Learning, Cognition, and the Review of Philosophy and Psychology. I’m the co-creator of Sway and co-founder and president of Disagree Wisely. I hold a Ph.D. from Princeton University, with expertise in reasoning, moral psychology, ethics, and the philosophy of cognitive science.

Engagement as an HxA Member:
Presented at HxA Virtual Event, Summit, or Conference
Featured in HxA Member Story
Guest on HxA Podcast
HxA Writers Group Member or Veteran
Active Moderator of an HxCommunity
Active HxA Campus Community Co-Chair
Author of essay in inquisitive magazine or HxA's blog
Former or Current Faculty Fellow at HxA's Segal Center for Academic Pluralism
Speaker's Title and Institutional/Organizational Affiliation: Faculty Research Fellow and Visiting Research Professor of Civil Discourse and Artificial Intelligence
Event Type :
Lecture/Presentation
Fireside Chat
Book Talk
Film Screening + Talk
Constitution Day Event
Classroom Visit
Workshop
Podcast
Debate, Forum, or HxConversation
Speaking Topics - List up to 5 specific topics or titles, each separated by a semicolon: Promoting civil discourse on campus, AI for social good, improving reasoning and communication, teaching controversial material in college, reforming college DEI
Blackout Dates (Dates speaker is unavailable, Days/Month/Year): NA
Distance Willing to Travel: Any/No Limits to Travel Radius
Scholarly Area: Education
Modality of Event : In Person and/or Virtual
Willingness to be recorded: Willing
Speaking Fee (Not including travel/lodging expenses): $5,000-$7,499 USD
Recent Appearance (1 of 5) -title, host institution, year: How to Talk to Anyone About Anything (And Why You Should Do It!), School of Civic Life and Leadership, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 2025
Recent Appearance (2 of 5) -title, host institution, year: How to Help Students Connect and Reason Across Their Deepest Divides, Eradicate Hate Global Summit, HEWG, 2025
Recent Appearance (3 of 5) -title, host institution, year: AI to Promote Constructive Disagreement on Campus: A Practical Tool for Educators, Members’ Workshop, Heterodox Academy, 2025
Recent Appearance (4 of 5) -title, host institution, year: Can This AI Tool Save Campus Dialogue? Heterodox Out Loud Podcast with John Tomasi, 2025
Recent Appearance (5 of 5) -title, host institution, year: Beyond Civility: Honing Reason to Create Safe Spaces for Dangerous Ideas, Inaugural Engaging Across Viewpoints Lecture, Carleton College (Office of the President and Division of Inclusion, Equity, and Community), 2024
Link to Speaker's Professional Website (to include sample writings and more extensive bio): www.simoncullen.org