Dr. Warren J. von Eschenbach is a distinguished academic leader and philosopher, currently serving as the President of the University of North Texas at Dallas. In this role, he oversees the university’s academic, administrative, and financial operations, setting strategic visions, ensuring financial stability, and fostering a robust academic environment. His tenure has seen significant achievements, including the establishment of the University’s Inaugural Center for Innovation in Teaching and Learning, and the implementation of strategic budgeting processes aligning unit-level budgets with key performance indicators.
Prior to his current position, Dr. von Eschenbach served as Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs at the University of North Texas System, where he supported curricular and programmatic innovation across campuses. Before coming to the UNT System, he spent nearly 14 years at the University of Notre Dame in South Bend, Indiana, as a faculty member and administrator. He served in various leadership roles within the Provost’s Office at Notre Dame, including as the Associate Vice President and Assistant Provost responsible for overseeing Notre Dame’s 11 international locations and 48 study abroad programs, Academic Director of the Notre Dame London Global Gateway, Senior Advisor to the Provost, and was instrumental in launching the Notre Dame Technology Ethics Center as the Inaugural Managing Director.
During his tenure at Notre Dame, he successfully created the University’s first multidisciplinary minor in technology ethics; fostered partnerships internationally to support faculty research and collaborations across campus; implemented a new core curriculum for international programs; opened the University’s Center in Rome; and increased experiential learning and research opportunities for students and postdoctoral fellows. In 2015, Dr. von Eschenbach and his team in London were awarded the Presidential Team Irish Award for exemplifying the University of Notre Dame’s core values.
Dr. von Eschenbach’s academic journey is marked by his profound engagement with ethical and normative issues, particularly in the realm of technology. As a faculty member at the University of Notre Dame, he taught a wide array of courses including “Existentialist Themes,” “Ethics & Politics,” “British Moral Philosophy,” “Philosophy of Art and Aesthetics,” and specialized courses in the ethics of data and business analytics. His teaching extends to the Business School, where he developed and taught courses such as “Ethics of Data Analytics”, “Ethics of Business Analytics” (MSBA), and “Ethics of Business and Data Analytics” (MBA).
His scholarly contributions are extensive and impactful. Dr. von Eschenbach has published articles in Philosophy & Technology, The Journal of Global Ethics, Culture e Fede: Journal of the Pontifical Council for Culture, The Journal of Value Inquiry, America Magazine, and Indigo Humanities Journal. He is a contributing author to Encountering Artificial Intelligence: Ethical and Anthropological Explorations (Pickwick Press, 2024) and Virtues in the Public Sphere: Citizenship, Civic Friendship, and Duty (Routledge, 2019). These publications reflect his commitment to advancing philosophical discourse and ethical practices in technology and education.
Dr. von Eschenbach holds a PhD in Philosophy from The University of Texas at Austin, specializing in ethics and 19th and 20th-century European philosophy; an MA in Philosophy from Marquette University; and a BA in Philosophy from Trinity University. He is a member of the executive committee of the North America Association for Philosophy & Education; a member of the AI Research Group at the Vatican Center for Digital Culture, Vatican Dicastery for Culture and Education; and a reviewer for Philosophy & Technology, Synthese, and the Journal of Philosophy. His dual citizenship in the United States and Italy underscores his global perspective and dedication to international collaboration.
Dr. von Eschenbach and his wife, Rachael, who is co-founder of Mindful U, LLC., have been married for 25 years and have three wonderful children.