Richard Foley was appointed Dean of Faculty of Arts and Science in 2000.
Foley came to NYU from Rutgers University, where he served as the Executive Dean of Arts and Sciences and Dean of the Graduate School from 1996 to 2000. From 1992 to 1996, he was the Dean of Arts and Sciences at Rutgers, and from 1990 to 1992, he chaired its Department of Philosophy. Before coming to Rutgers, Dr. Foley chaired the Philosophy Department at the University of Notre Dame from 1983-1990. In 2002, Foley became chair of the University's Faculty Advisory Committee on Academic Priorities. This University committee, composed primarily of faculty members, is charged with shaping NYU's academic agenda.
Foley is widely regarded as one of the leading thinkers in epistemology, the origin and nature of knowledge. His books include Intellectual Trust in Oneself and Others (Cambridge University Press, 2001), Working Without a Net (Oxford University Press, 1993), and The Theory of Epistemic Rationality (Harvard University Press, 1987).
Foley's honors include Brown University's Distinguished Graduate Alumni Award and Notre Dame's Presidential Award for University Service, as well as multiple fellowships from the National Endowment for the Humanities.
Foley has a B.A. and an M.A. from Miami University (1969, 1970, and a Ph.D. from Brown University (1975).