Thomas Stapleford

Thomas Stapleford is an Associate Professor at the University of Notre Dame, with appointments in the Program of Liberal Studies and the Department of History. He is also a faculty member in the Program in History & Philosophy of Science and a faculty fellow at the Reilly Center for Science, Technology, and Values. His work bridges the history of science, history of economics, and virtue ethics, focusing on the intersection of expertise, governance, and democratic accountability.

• Ph.D. in History of Science from Harvard University
• M.Sc. in Artificial Intelligence from the University of Edinburgh
• B.A. in Liberal Arts and B.M.E. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Delaware

Stapleford’s research explores the political history of economic statistics, historical epistemology, and the application of virtue ethics to scientific practice. His publications include monographs and journal articles analyzing the construction of economic metrics like the U.S. Consumer Price Index. He has contributed to journals such as Journal of American History, Isis, and History of Political Economy, and is currently working on a manuscript integrating virtue ethics with democratic governance.

He has served on the Executive Committee of the History of Economics Society and held editorial roles at Studies in the History & Philosophy of Science and Isis. Stapleford has received major grants from the U.S. National Science Foundation and the Templeton Religion Trust.

Stapleford is actively involved in public engagement, delivering talks on economic statistics and science & religion, and writing about liberal education. He contributes to academic communities through affiliations with institutions like the Reilly Center and the History of Economics Society.