Rachel Ankeny

Short description: Philosopher and historian of science

Rachel Ankeny

FASSA

Alma mater| University of Pittsburgh
University of Adelaide
Region| Australia
Institutions| University of Adelaide
University of Exeter
Doctoral advisor| James G. Lennox
Other academic advisors| John Earman, Lewis Jacobson, Robert C. Olby, Kenneth F. Schaffner

Main interests

| Philosophy of Biology
Philosophy of Science
Bioethics
Website| researchers.adelaide.edu/au

Rachel Ankeny FASSA is a professor of history and philosophy of science at University of Adelaide. In 2020, she was elected as a fellow in the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) "for her contributions to our understanding of the foundational roles that organisms play in biological research and her leadership in history and philosophy of science."[1] She is currently the president-elect of the International Society for the History, Philosophy, and Social Studies of Biology (ISHPSSB).[2]

## Contents

* 1 Biography
* 2 Research
* 3 Recognition
* 4 Media appearances
* 5 Selected publications
* 6 References
* 7 External links

## Biography

After finishing her B.A. at St. John's College (Santa Fe), studying the Great Books curriculum, Ankeny held an independent Thomas J. Watson Fellowship to explore families' understandings of and responses to Huntington disease risk in England, Scotland, Wales, and Denmark. She then worked for Encyclopædia Britannica (on their Great Books products) and the Paideia Program in Chicago for 3 years. Ankeny received her M.A. in bioethics and philosophy from the University of Pittsburgh, and her Ph.D. under James G. Lennox in the History and Philosophy of Science from the University of Pittsburgh.[3] She also holds a M.A. degree in Gastronomy from the University of Adelaide, where she wrote a thesis on celebratory food habits among immigrants of Italo-Australian and Italian-American origin.[4] Prior to joining the faculty of the University of Adelaide, she was director of the Unit for History and Philosophy of Science at the University of Sydney (2000-2006). She is currently the Deputy Dean Research for the Faculty of Arts and is a Professor of History and Philosophy at the University of Adelaide.

## Research

Ankeny's work in the history and philosophy of science concerns the use of scientific models, case-based reasoning, and model organisms. She is currently leading the project Organisms and Us: How living things help us to understand our world.[5] Investigators under the project include Sabina Leonelli and Michael Dietrich. This project investigates the roles of non-human organisms in biological research and how researchers use organisms in 20th and early 21st-century science.

Her expertise also includes bioethics, science policy, migration and food studies. She is the leader of the Food Values Research Group[6] at University of Adelaide. The research group seeks to understand the decision-making processes behind everyday food choices and how they are shaped by social, cultural and historical influences.

## Recognition

In 2020, Ankeny was elected as a History and Philosophy of Science Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.[7] She was elected president of ISHPSSB in 2019.[8] Ankeny was elected a Fellow of the Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia in 2022.[9]

## Media appearances

Ankeny has been frequently interviewed by national and international networks and programs on issues including genetic editing[10][11][12] and GMO labeling,[13][14] the quality and value of foods,[15] updates to the Food Standards Australia New Zealand,[16] and eating habits.[17] She has been invited as a guest on multiple programs at ABC Radio National, including Robyn Williams's Ockham's Razor,[18] Jonathan Green's Blueprint,[19] the Health Report,[10] Linda Mottram's PM,[20] and the Catalyst.[21] Her bylines include The Conversation,[22] Online Opinion,[23] The ABC's Religion and Ethics portal.[24] On the COVID-19 pandemic, she has been interviewed by news networks to comment on ethical concerns related to coronavirus "certificates" [25] and the impacts of lockdown rules for the food sector.[15]

## Selected publications

* Model Organisms (2020) with Sabina Leonelli. (ISBN:9781108593014)

## References

1. ↑ "AAAS Announces Leading Scientists Elected as 2020 Fellows | American Association for the Advancement of Science" (in en). https://www.aaas.org/news/aaas-announces-leading-scientists-elected-2020-fellows.
2. ↑ "Current Council and Editorial Board". https://www.ishpssb.org/about/council#executive-committee.
3. ↑ Ankeny, Rachel. "The conqueror worm: An historical and philosophical examination of the use of the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans as a model organism" (in en). https://pitt.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/fulldisplay?&context=PC&vid=01PITT_INST:01PITT_INST&search_scope=MyInst_and_CI&tab=Everything&docid=cdi_proquest_journals_304400142.
4. ↑ Ankeny, Rachel. "Celebratory food traditions in the Italian diaspora: comapring [i.e. comparing the land of opportunity and the lucky country"] (in en). https://librarysearch.adelaide.edu.au/discovery/fulldisplay?&context=L&vid=61ADELAIDE_INST:UOFA&search_scope=all&tab=Everything&docid=alma9927611586801811.
5. ↑ "Organisms and Us | University of Adelaide". https://arts.adelaide.edu.au/organisms-and-us/.
6. ↑ "People" (in en). http://arts.adelaide.edu.au/humanities/food-values/people.
7. ↑ 2020 Fellows, AAAS. Retrieved 2020-11-29.
8. ↑ "2019 Election results - ISHPSSB.org". https://www.ishpssb.org/news/8-news/192-2019-election-results.
9. ↑ "34 leading social scientists elected to the Academy" (in en-AU). 2022-11-09. https://socialsciences.org.au/news/34-leading-social-scientists-elected-to-the-academy/.
10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 "Gene editing our way to better health?" (in en-AU). 2019-06-06. https://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/healthreport/gene-editing-our-way-to-better-health/11186796.
11. ↑ "More consumers support the science of GMOs, but don't see benefits" (in en-AU). 2016-01-07. https://www.abc.net.au/news/rural/rural-news/2016-01-07/di-natale-greens-genetic-modification/7073380.
12. ↑ Dayton, Leigh (2014-02-14). "Organic Farmer Sues GM Farming Neighbor" (in en). https://www.science.org/content/article/organic-farmer-sues-gm-farming-neighbor.
13. ↑ Bray, Heather; Ankeny, Rachel A.. "Perceptions of genetically modified food are informed by more than just science" (in en). http://theconversation.com/perceptions-of-genetically-modified-food-are-informed-by-more-than-just-science-72865.
14. ↑ "Current GM food labels no longer fit for purpose - Report" (in en-NZ). https://www.nzherald.co.nz/the-country/news/current-gm-food-labels-no-longer-fit-for-purpose-report/PQEHW35NA3GEWPYABON36SVEGA/.
15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 Marshall, Andrew (2020-08-11). "Warning signs on menu for suppliers as food services adjust to COVID-19" (in en-AU). http://www.farmonline.com.au/story/6873282/warning-signs-on-menu-for-suppliers-as-food-services-adjust-to-covid-19/.
16. ↑ "Time for change: Experts back new definitions for foods produced with gene tech" (in en-GB). https://www.foodnavigator-asia.com/Article/2020/02/27/Time-for-change-Experts-back-new-definitions-for-foods-produced-with-gene-tech.
17. ↑ Ting, Inga (2013-11-05). "How Australia eats: The ultimate pie chart" (in en-au). https://www.goodfood.com.au/eat-out/news/how-australia-eats-the-ultimate-pie-chart-20131101-2wstm.
18. ↑ "Is eating meat bad for you?" (in en-AU). 2020-02-07. https://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/ockhamsrazor/is-eating-meat-bad-for-you/11932214.
19. ↑ "Lockdown kitchen" (in en-AU). 2020-04-03. https://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/blueprintforliving/lockdown-larder/12114014.
20. ↑ "Religion and science collide over COVID-19 vaccine ethics" (in en-AU). 2020-08-25. https://www.abc.net.au/radio/programs/pm/religion-and-science-collide-over-covid-19-vaccine-ethics/12594860.
21. ↑ (in en-AU) Gene Editing Made Simple, Australian Broadcasting Corporation, 2016-08-30, https://www.abc.net.au/catalyst/gene-editing-made-simple/11016800, retrieved 2020-11-29
22. ↑ "Rachel A. Ankeny" (in en). https://theconversation.com/profiles/rachel-a-ankeny-64462.
23. ↑ "Is there an individual responsibility not to have children in cases of genetic risk?". Online Opinion. https://www.onlineopinion.com.au/view.asp?article=1161.
24. ↑ Ankeny, Rachel (2016-06-02). "'Good' Food? Avoiding Moral Superiority over What We Eat" (in en-AU). https://www.abc.net.au/religion/good-food-avoiding-moral-superiority-over-what-we-eat/10096928.
25. ↑ "How coronavirus certificates could make the disease a 'perverse' privilege" (in en-AU). 2020-05-11. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-05-12/coronavirus-immunity-certificates-survivors-dangerous-experts/12233792.

## External links

* Homepage
* Rachel Ankeny publications indexed by Google Scholar
* Rachel Ankeny on Twitter

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