Dr. Derek Leben

Assistant Professor

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Biography

Derek Leben is an Associate Teaching Professor at the Tepper School of Business at Carnegie Mellon University, specializing in Business Ethics. His research focuses on principles of fairness and the evaluation of harms related to the implementation of these principles in artificial intelligence and autonomous systems. He earned his PhD from Johns Hopkins University in 2012 and taught ethics at the University of Pittsburgh for ten years before joining Carnegie Mellon. Leben is the author of two significant books: 'Ethics Robots' published by Routledge in 2018 and 'AI Fairness' with MIT Press, set to be released in 2025. He also founded the consulting group Ethical Algorithms, which collaborates with governments and corporations to develop fairness policies for AI systems. Leben aims to foster responsible use of new technologies, emphasizing the importance of both technical knowledge and ethical reasoning in discussions about ethical challenges. He actively engages with corporate education, creating respectful forums for debate around ethical policies. Derek Leben is involved in several executive education programs, specifically addressing emerging business applications of generative AI.

Research Interests

Experience

Associate Teaching Professor

2022-01-01 — Present

Carnegie Mellon University • Pittsburgh, United States

Teaching Business Ethics and leading discussions on the ethical implementation of artificial intelligence principles.

Associate Professor

2018-01-01 — 2022-01-01

University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown • Johnstown, United States

Taught ethics and engaged in research related to ethical considerations in technology.

Requirements for Carnegie Mellon University

Doctorate Program
Requirements
GPA Requirement
Required:3.5
GRE General
Verbal
Required:158
Quantitative
Required:149
Analytical Writing
Required:4
Overall
Required:4
Prerequisites
Bachelor's degree in Psychology or related field Research experience/publications
Application Checklist
  • Online application
  • Statement of Purpose
  • Three letters of recommendation
  • Transcripts
  • GRE scores (optional but reported in profile)
  • English Proficiency (TOEFL/IELTS/Duolingo)
Specialization Notes

Admission is extremely competitive with no strict GPA cut-offs; holistic review is used.