Mark Rollins, PhD, a professor emeritus of philosophy in Arts & Sciences and former dean of University College at Washington University in St. Louis, died Friday, Nov. 24, 2023, in Columbia, Mo., following a battle with cancer. He was 76.
Rollins joined Washington University in 1987 as an assistant professor of philosophy, becoming chair of the department in 2002 and professor in 2006. During his more than three decades at Washington University, Rollins served on or chaired virtually every major academic committee and held numerous administrative roles, including as associate dean in Arts & Sciences and as one of the first faculty fellows in the Office of the Provost.
He served as chair of the philosophy department from 2002-2010, during which time the department had an impressive period of growth, including the addition of 14 full-time faculty members. Also during his tenure as chair, the department rose significantly in the rankings of philosophy graduate programs, and the number of applications to its graduate program quadrupled.
Rollins was also a professor in the Philosophy-Neuroscience-Psychology (PNP) program, which he helped create in the early 1990s, and he served as chair of the Performing Arts Department from 2012 to 2018.
“It is no exaggeration to say that Mark Rollins was the most important chair in recent history for the philosophy department, and many of us would not be here but for the foundation that he laid,” said Ron Mallon, chair and professor of philosophy and of philosophy-neuroscience-psychology and director of the PNP program.
“He had a kind of gift for seeing and exploring possibilities for the department and the university,” Mallon said. “Mark was also a valuable mentor for those of us who came along later in his career — a ready source of wise advice based on his broad experience. He has left us with a legacy of growth and excellence.”
Rollins’ academic interests included topics at the intersection of aesthetics and cognitive science, among them theories of picture perception, the role of attention in aesthetic experience and a cognitive psychology of artistic style.