When Kevin McCain, Ph.D., first visited the University of Alabama at Birmingham’s campus back in 2012, he felt an immediate connection to the city of Birmingham. After meeting with faculty members in the Department of Philosophy, he looked out from the fourth-floor promenade of the now-demolished Humanities Building and took in the view of the downtown skyline and decided that UAB would be a much better fit than his other options at the time.
“[Birmingham] was much more interesting,” said McCain. “I [also] liked the department … there was a lot of good support for research, a lot of people working on interesting things.”
McCain later was offered a one-year visiting position with the department, which he accepted. Now, over a decade later, McCain serves as the chair of UAB’s Department of Philosophy and is the recipient of the College of Arts and Sciences’ most prestigious research award: the Charles P. and Caroline W. Ireland Award for Scholarly Distinction (the “Ireland Award”). For McCain, the path from visiting professor to award-winning chair has been rich with teaching, service, and, of course, research.
“One of the things I like about researching at UAB has been my experience [with] flexibility and support,” said McCain. “I’ve been able to go where my research takes me.”
Clearly, McCain has thrived in UAB’s research-focused environment. According to a colleague who nominated him for the Ireland Award, “His accomplishments in scholarship are extraordinary. He has written single-handedly four books in epistemology, co-authored two more, and edited or co-edited another eight books. He has also authored 33 peer-reviewed articles in the best journals in philosophy.”
In addition, McCain’s book Understanding How Science Explains the World was named one of Choice Reviews Outstanding Academic Titles of 2023 opens a new website, a significant achievement that Cambridge University Press—McCain’s publisher—describes as the “Oscars of academic publishing.”
For non-philosophers, some of the terms featured in the titles of McCain’s books and articles might seem a bit unfamiliar, including the word “epistemology.” Thankfully, he is a skillful scholar and teacher who finds opportunities to make his research accessible to everyone.
“Epistemology [is] one of the major branches of philosophy that focuses on things related to knowledge, how we know things, what’s reasonable to believe,” said McCain. “My research… is defending common sense. The view that I’ve been defending, and still defend, is just the view that what’s reasonable to believe, or what’s rational to believe, is determined by the evidence you have.”
And his influence on the field of epistemology is likely to be long-lasting. As his nomination letter notes, “At the young age of 43, Kevin McCain has achieved the astonishing result of becoming one of the premier epistemologists of his generation.”
Given McCain’s significant impact on his field, it is unsurprising that he was selected by a committee of faculty members and past Ireland Award recipients to receive the top honor for scholarship and research in the College. When McCain heard the news that he was receiving the Ireland Award, it spoke volumes about his colleagues’ willingness to recognize and celebrate research in the humanities.
“It’s a strong validation of the fact that the University takes seriously research in philosophy and the humanities in general,” said McCain.
As he looks to the future, more research is on the docket (along with his many responsibilities as department chair). Specifically, McCain recently completed a new book—titled Explanatory Solutions to Skeptical Problems—which builds on some of his previous research. He is also interested in exploring the epistemology of medicine and supporting the Department of Philosophy as it develops a new bioethics master’s program.
Although his workload is significant, he still finds balance in his daily life. He and his wife are raising three young sons (all under the age of seven) and navigating the subtle complexities of soccer schedules for two of them. As McCain talks about his family and his productive career, he projects a welcoming, humble demeanor. He applies that same temperament when talking about receiving the Ireland Award.
“It’s very humbling, when you look back at who all has received it, it kind of puts you in your place. It’s also a really good sign and very reassuring that the research has been noticed and it’s valued,” said McCain.
The College will honor McCain with a reception and dinner in early 2025.
