OCTOBER 12, 2023, NEW YORK — Heterodox Academy (HxA), a non-partisan, non-profit organization dedicated to improving institutions of higher education by advocating for principles of viewpoint diversity, open inquiry, and constructive disagreement, announced Roger Koppl as the latest faculty fellow who will be joining the Center for Academic Pluralism beginning in January.

Koppl, a Professor of Finance at Syracuse University, has published across economics, social epistemology, and forensic science. During his fellowship at the Center, Professor Koppl will investigate how the design and governance of governmental scientific advisory boards might be reformed to ensure that they reflect a diversity of viewpoints, permit internal expressions of dissent, and foster constructive disagreement among their members on politically sensitive topics.

“Professor Koppl’s proposed research is both relevant and important, given that in democratic societies, trust in scientific experts is declining,” says Alex Arnold, Director of Research at the Center. “Devising possible reforms to how scientific advisory boards operate, especially with respect to politically sensitive topics, is an important margin on which to work toward helping scientific experts become more trustworthy, and restoring the public’s faith in science.”

Koppl joins the other esteemed fellows who arrived at the Center in August. The Center, which recently celebrated its official grand opening last month, will begin recruitment of the fall 2024 post-doctoral and faculty fellows in the coming weeks.

The Center is funded by a generous lead grant from Templeton Religion Trust. If you are interested in supporting the Center, please reach out to peacock@heterodoxacademy.org.

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Roger Koppl, Faculty Fellow at the Center for Academic Pluralism, is a Professor of Finance at Syracuse University where he also serves as Associate Director of the Institute for an Entrepreneurial Society. Koppl has published books and articles in a variety of fields including economics, social epistemology, and forensic science. His research interests include the economic theory of experts, complexity theory, and the production and distribution of knowledge in society. His work on forensic science reform has been featured in Forbes magazine, The Washington Post, The Atlantic, and other outlets. His work on expert failure has been featured in The Sunday Telegraph, Il Sole 24 Ore, and other outlets. Research Topic: Reforming Scientific Advisory Bodies