
Dr. Orlin Vakarelov
Dr. Orlin Vakarelov holds a Ph.D. in Philosophy and Cognitive Science from the University of Arizona, an M.S. in Logic and Computation from Carnegie Mellon University, and both an M.A. in Philosophy and an Hon. B.Sc. in Mathematics and Philosophy from the University of Toronto. His teaching philosophy emphasizes critical thinking and the practical application of theoretical concepts to real-world problems, promoting an engaging learning environment that encourages active participation and intellectual curiosity.
Expertise and Experience
Dr. Vakarelov's professional journey is distinguished by a combination of academic teaching, technology development, and leadership roles. Before UCW, he taught for the Master of Data Science Program at the University of British Columbia and was a visiting researcher at the Philosophy Department. Before coming to Vancouver, Dr. Vakarelov was ACLS New Faculty Fellow and Visiting Professor at Duke University. He has also taught at Humber College in Toronto, the University of Arizona, and Carnegie Mellon University. Furthermore, Dr. Vakarelov is the Founder, CEO, and Lead Developer of Information Aesthetics in Vancouver, developing innovative web-based platforms for design and presentations.
Publications and Scholarly Activity
Dr. Vakarelov’s scholarly contributions are extensive and include:
- Vakarelov O, Rogerson K, The Transparency Game: Government Information, Access, and Actionability, Philosophy & Technology, 33: 71–92 (2020)
- Knorr E, Riva GVD, Vakarelov O, Anatomy of a new data science course in privacy, ethics, and security, Proceedings of the 23rd Western Canadian Conference on Computing Education, 1-5 (2018)
- Vakarelov O, From Interface to Correspondence: Recovering Classical Representations in a Pragmatic Theory of Semantic Information. Minds and Machines, 24: 327–351 (2014).
- Vakarelov O, Cognition. In P. Illari (ed.) The Philosophy of Information: An Introduction. pp. 170-182. SPI. (2013).
- Vakarelov O, Information Networks are Better for Cognition than Symbolic Dynamics, Proceedings of IACAP 2013.
- Vakarelov O, Review: Luciano Floridi, The Philosophy of Information (OUP, 2011), and Luciano Floridi, Information: A Very Short Introduction (OUP 2010). Philosophy in Review, 33(2):109-113. (2013).
- Vakarelov O, The Information Medium. Philosophy & Technology, 25(1):47-65. (2012).
- Vakarelov O, The Cognitive Agent: Overcoming Informational Limits. Adaptive Behavior, 19(2):83-100. (2011).
- Vakarelov O, Pre-cognitive Semantic Information. Knowledge, Technology and Policy, 23(2):193-226. (2010).
Awards
- ACLS New Faculty Fellowship (2012-2014, $100K)
- Bass Connections Research Grant from Duke University
- UA Excellence Graduate Fellowship in the Social Sciences from the University of Arizona