Yunjie (Ellen) Shi

Hi! Welcome to my academic website.

I am a PhD candidate in the Department of Logic and Philosophy of Science (LPS), at University of California, Irvine, advised by James Weatherall. Kenny Easwaran, Simon Huttegger, and Brian Skyrms serve on my dissertation committee. At the moment, I am visiting the Department of Philosophy at University of California, Berkeley. 

My work looks at mathematical representations and formal reasonings across disciplines. I am writing my dissertation on philosophy of physics (theoretical equivalence & structure), philosophy of probability, and social choice theory. I am also interested in (algorithmic) game theory, PPE, and philosophy of science and mathematics. You can read more about my research here.

As an educator, I strive to provide students an open and encouraging learning environment. At UC Irvine, I have worked with students with various learning objectives and cultural backgrounds. It's my great pleasure to connect philosophy and logic with their intelletual growth in my classroom, and to develop new perspectives and skills that are transferrable and useful for whatever they pursue. You can read more about my teaching experience here. 

In 2025, I received the Outstanding Service Award from the School of Social Sciences of UC Irvine. I have served UC Irvine and the LPS department as the DECADE Student Representative, organizer of the Philosophy of Physics Research/Reading Group, LPS Graduate Student Work in Progress Talks, and several reading groups. 

Before coming to UC Irvine for graduate school, I finished my undergraduate degree at London School of Economics. I was born and raised in Chuzhou, Anhui, China.