Ron Giere was my advisor for most of the years that I was a graduate student in the department.

My research interests overlapped one of Ron's research interests very neatly. One of the symposia at the 1976 biennial meeting of the Philosophy of Science Association posed the question "Are there any philosophically interesting questions in technology?" In his skeptical paper for the symposium “A Dilemma for Philosophers of Science and Technology” Ron argued that the question was still open since no issues had yet been identified that were both essentially technological and philosophically significant. My PhD dissertation responded later with the argument that essentially technological and philosophically interesting questions can be found in discussions of technology assessment.

My interest and Ron's in philosophical issues with technology were unusual in the department in the 1970s. In two ways Ron was a perfect advisor. It was in my conversations with Ron that I was intellectually provoked and motivated to break new ground. And Ron legitimized what some faculty members, I'm sure, considered my weird focus for a philosophy of science student. Ron was a really interesting, really good guy.

Lewis Gray

PhD, 1981
Dissertation: A Decision Theoretic Model of Congressional Technology Assessment