Zachary Irving

Zachary Irving is an Associate Professor in the Corcoran Department of Philosophy at the University of Virginia. His research focuses on the philosophy of cognitive science, particularly mind-wandering, attention norms, and mental action. He holds a B.A., M.A., and Ph.D. from the University of Toronto, specializing in philosophy of cognitive science, epistemology, and philosophy of action.

• NEH Fellowship (2024): “The Spontaneity Deficit: Good Minds in the Age of Distraction”
• Templeton Grant (2022): Machine learning classifiers for distinguishing mind-wandering in VR

His interdisciplinary work bridges philosophy with cognitive psychology/neuroscience, social psychology, and even household finance (e.g., collaborating with LUSH on a shower routine to harness mind-wandering). Key research programs include:

• Mind-wandering as unguided attention
• Foundations of the cognitive science of mind-wandering
• Normative analysis of attention in the digital era

Teaching includes courses on philosophy of mind, consciousness, memory, and neuroscience. Collaborations involve scholars like Sheisha Kulkarni, Caitlin Mills, and Sam Murray, emphasizing empirical and philosophical synergy.