Background 

I received my PhD from Indiana University.

I am committed to the value and practice of philosophy, not just for students who want to pursue graduate study in philosophy, but also for students who have other aims, perhaps in business, in the arts, in science, or in engineering.  Although I have been fortunate to teach at some nationally regarded liberal arts schools, my time at public universities has also prepared me to adapt to a variety of academic settings, teaching challenges, and kinds of students and learners.  I am also a first generation college graduate, so I can empathize with students who are newcomers to the culture of higher education.  Wherever I have taught, I have tried to be available, enthusiastic, respectful, and to challenge students intellectually.  I encourage students to think across disciplines and perspectives, particularly when I teach environmental ethics.  I have long agreed with Kant’s sentiment in the Critique of Judgment that engaging with the “beautiful arts and sciences” cultivates our humanity.

Research Interests 

Kant, neo-Kantian and post-Kantian philosophy, broadly construed, and Environmental Ethics

Regularly Taught Courses

• Environmental Ethics
• 19th and 20th Century Philosophy
• 17th and 18th Century Philosophy
• Honors Business Ethics
• Honors Contemporary Moral Issues

I have recently taught courses on Existentialism, Hannah Arendt, and Critical Theory.  In the past, I have taught upper level seminars on Kant's Philosophical System, Heidegger, and the Enlightenment.