Last Updated: 8/21/08
 
 
 

Current Position

2004 - present: Program Coordinator & Assistant Professor, Philosophy, University of Louisiana at Lafayette.

Previous Positions

2003 - 2004: Interim Program Coordinator & Assistant Professor, Philosophy, University of Louisiana at Lafayette.
1998 - 2003: Instructor, Philosophy, University Louisiana at Lafayette
1997 - 1998: Lecturer, Department of Philosophy, California State University, Fresno
1996 - 1997: Instructor, Department of Philosophy, Winona State University

Education

Ph.D. (Philosophy), The Ohio State University, August 1996
M.A. (Philosophy), The Ohio State University, March 1993
B.A. (Philosophy), Arizona State University, December 1987

Areas of Specialization

Epistemology, Practical Ethics (selected topics)

Areas of Competence

Metaphysics, Ethics, History of Modern Philosophy, Philosophy of
Religion, 20th Century Analytic Philosophy, Philosophy of Mind, Informal
Logic/Critical Thinking

Published Work

"Coke Into Pepsi: The Miracle in Pulp Fiction," Quentin Tarantino and Philosophy, ed. by Richard Greene and K. Silem Mohammad, (Open Court, 2007).

"A Reply to Marquis' 'Korcz on Abortion," Journal of Social Philosophy, Volume 35, Issue 1, March 2004.

"A Comparison of Student Editions of Hume's First Enquiry", American Philosophical Association's Newsletter on Teaching Philosophy, Volume 02, number 1, Fall 2002.

"Two Moral Strategies Regarding Abortion" , Journal of Social Philosophy, Volume 33, Issue 4, Winter 2002.

"The Epistemic Basing Relation", The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, October 31, 2001. Revised November 2006.

"The Causal-Doxastic Theory of the Basing Relation" , Canadian Journal of Philosophy, Vol. 30, No. 4, December 2000.

"Teaching Informal Modal Logic in Informal Logic/Critical Thinking Classes," American Philosophical Association's Newsletter on Teaching Philosophy, Spring 1998. (To read the full text of this article, click here.)

"Recent Work on the Basing Relation," American Philosophical Quarterly,  Vol. 34, No. 2, April 1997. (To see the full text of this article, click here.)
 

Work in Progress

"Epistemic Teleology"
"Justificatory Voluntarism"

Presentations

"Epistemic Teleology," Presentation for Philosophy Colloquium, UL Lafayette Philosophy Program, March 2006.
"Two Strategies Regarding The Issue Of Abortion." Presentation sponsored  by the California State University, Fresno, Philosophy Club, March 5, 1998.
"Epistemic Deontology." Presented at the California State University,  Fresno Philosophy Colloquium on October 14, 1997.
"The Causal-Doxastic Theory Of The Basing Relation." Presented at the  annual Minnesota Philosophical Society Meeting at Bethel College on  October 26, 1996.
"Reasons For Which One Believes." Presented to the Ohio State University  Department of Philosophy, May 24, 1996

Referee Work

Reviewer for Nous (2008).
Reviewer for Grazer Philosophische Studien (2008).
Reviewer for Erkenntnis (2008).
Reviewer for The Canadian Journal of Philosophy (2008).
Reviewer for Synthese (2006).
Reviewer for Routledge Publishers (2005).
Reviewer for The Electronic Journal of Analytic Philosophy (2005).
Reviewer for Susquehanna University Press (2005).
Reviewer for Blackwell Publishers (2006, 2005, 2004 (three)).
Reviewer for Broadview Publishers (2008, 2007, 2004).
Reviewer for Rowman & Littlefield (2004, 2003).
Reviewer for Longman's Publishing Co. (2005 (two), 2004 (three), 2003, 2002 (two)).
Reviewer for Oxford University Press (2008, 2007, 2006, 2004, 2002).
Reviewer for Philosophical Papers (2002).
Reviewer for Harcourt-Brace (2001).
Reviewer for Wadsworth Publishing Company (2005, 2004 (two), 2001, 1999).
Reviewer for Mayfield Publishing Company (1998).

Internet Work

Author of the Epistemology Research Guide, which contains a list of links to over 1,000 papers in contemporary analytic epistemology (the largest set of such links on the Internet) and other resources of interest to those doing professional research in contemporary analytic epistemology.
Redesigned the departmental web page, UL Lafayette, Fall 1999.
Created a Philosophy Links page containing over 250 links organized by topic for student use.
Created Research Links page containing over 100 links for research on the Internet.
I create a home page and a syllabus, both enhanced with relevant links (to author's home page, to relevant web sites, to copies of required and optional readings available online, etc.), for each class taught.
I have created interactive crossword puzzles for use as a study aid for my Introduction to Philosophy and Contemporary Moral Dilemmas classes.
I have created a "How To Survive Your First Philosophy Class" tutorial, which includes information on taking notes, writing philosophy papers, doing research in philosophy, etc.

Grants & Awards

Grant for Faculty Development, first author, University of Louisiana at Lafayette, $400 awarded to acquire philosophy books for Dupre Library, Fall 2007.
Student Technology Enhancement Proposal (STEP) Grant, University of Louisiana at Lafayette, $7,800 for the three-year acquisition of a site license for The Philosopher's Index Online, Spring 2007.
Grant for Faculty Development, first author, University of Louisiana at Lafayette, $650 awarded to acquire philosophy books for Dupre Library, Fall 2005.
Grant For Faculty Development, first author, University of Louisiana at Lafayette, $650 to acquire philosophy books for Dupre Library, Fall 2004.
Student Technology Enhancement Proposal (STEP) Grant, University of Louisiana at Lafayette, $9,262 for multi-media cart, including computer, projector, document camera, and other equipment, for use of internet, DVD, and multi-media classroom presentations, Autumn 2000.
Grant For Faculty Development, co-recipient, University of Louisiana at Lafayette, $500 to acquire videos and related materials for use in teaching philosophy, Fall 1998.
The William H. Fink Award, May 1996 (annual award of $1,000 for best graduate student essay in philosophy at the Ohio State University,  awarded for my paper "Reasons For Which One Believes").
Graduate Summer Fellowship in Philosophy, The Ohio State University, June 1995.
Regent's Scholarships, Arizona State University, September 1984 -  December 1987.
Numerous tournament awards in speech and C.E.D.A. debate, Arizona  State University and University of Nevada at Las Vegas, 1983-1986.
Devos Scholarship, for art, University of Nevada at Las Vegas, September  1983.

Departmental Service

Program Coordinator, (Summer 2004 - present).
Interim Program Coordinator, (Fall 2003 - Spring 2004).
Acting Program Coordinator, Philosophy, (Summer 2003).
Assistant Program Coordinator, Philosophy, (2001-2003).
Member of the Graduate Faculty, (2001-present).
Member, University Library Committee, (2006-2007)
Chair, Hiring Committee for Philosophy, (2003-2004, 2004 -2005, 2005-2006, 2006-2007).
Member, Hiring Committee for Philosophy (2001-2002).
Philosophy Program Web Liaison, (2001-present).
Revised Philosophy Program Curriculum, (2001).
Philosophy Program Liaison to Dupre Library (2001-present).
Advisor to the Philosophy Club, Philosophy Program, University of Louisiana at Lafayette (1998-present).
Member, Freshman Seminar Committee for the College of Liberal Arts,  University of Louisiana at Lafayette (1998-1999).
Chair, Recruiting Committee, Philosophy Program, University of Louisiana at Lafayette (1998-present).
Chief Author, Philosophy Program's new website, University of Louisiana at Lafayette (1999).
Departmental Librarian, Philosophy Program, University of Louisiana at Lafayette (1998-present).
Advisor to the Philosophy Club, California State University, Fresno (1997-1998).

Community Service

Friend of the Lafayette Public Library, 2003 - present.
Interviewed by Nathan Stubbs of The Independent for an article on the film The Matrix - we discussed the philosophical issues raised in the movie, November 12, 2003. Article, with quotes, appeared in the November 19, 2003 issue, p. 25.
By invitation, debated Dr. Bryan-Paul Frost on the existence of God for the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Lafayette, LA, on Sept. 14, 2003.
Guest appearance on live local cable TV show "Speak-Out", on the topic "Homosexuality and the Law", April 6, 2000.
Guest appearance on live local cable TV show "Speak-Out", on the topic "God's Existence and its Relation to Public Policy", January 21, 2000.
 

Teaching Experience

Assistant Professor (Philosophy), University of Louisiana at Lafayette: 2003 - present
Instructor (Philosophy), University of Louisiana at Lafayette: 1998 -  2003
Lecturer (Philosophy), California State University, Fresno: autumn 1997 - spring 1998
Instructor (Philosophy), Winona State University: autumn 1996 - spring 1997
Graduate Teaching Associate (Philosophy), The Ohio State University,  September 1990 - June 1996
Graduate Teaching Assistantship (Philosophy), Arizona State University,  September 1988 - June 1990

Courses Previously Taught

Upper Division

Theory of Knowledge, spring 2007, spring 2004, spring 2002.
Classics of Contemporary Analytic Epistemology (Directed Reading/ Independent Study), spring 2006, autumn 2004, spring 2001, spring 1998.
Skepticism, autumn 2008, autumn 2005, autumn 2003.
Hume, autumn 2007.
Metaphysics,  spring 2005, spring 2001.
Free Will (Independent Study), autumn 2006
Philosophy of Religion,  spring 2008, spring 2007, spring 2006, spring 2005, spring 2004, spring 2003, autumn 2001, autumn 1999, spring 1998.
Philosophy of Religion (Independent Study), spring 2003.
Problem of Evil (Independent Study), spring 2008.
Ethical Theory,  autumn 2006, autumn 2004, autumn 2002, autumn 2000, autumn 1998.
Ethical Theory (Independent Study), spring 2003.
Contemporary Conflicts of Morals,  autumn 1997 (three sections).
Professional Ethics,  spring 1999,  autumn 1998 (two sections).
Philosophy of the Enlightenment,  spring 2000.
20th Century Analytic Philosophy,  spring 1998.

Lower Division

Introduction to Philosophy of Religion,  spring 1997, spring 1995.
Honors Introduction to Philosophy,  spring 2001, spring 2000, spring 1999.
Introduction to Philosophy,  spring 2002, autumn 2001, autumn 2000 (two sections), autumn 1999 (two sections), summer 1999, spring 1997, winter 1997 (two  sections), winter 1996, winter 1995.
Introduction to Ethics/Moral Problems, spring 2008, spring 2006, autumn 2003, spring 2003, autumn 2002, spring 2002, autumn 2001 (two sections), spring 2001 (two sections), autumn 2000 (two sections), spring 2000 (two sections), fall 1999, autumn 1996 (two sections), autumn 1995, summer 1994, spring 1994, winter 1994, autumn 1994, autumn 1993.
Explorations in Liberal Arts, Spring 2007
Practical Argumentation,  autumn 2008, autumn 2007, autumn 2006, autumn 2005, autumn 2004, autumn 2003, spring 2003, autumn 2002.
Introduction to Logic (Informal),  autumn 1997, spring 1996.
Critical Thinking, spring 1999 (two sections), autumn 1998, spring 1998 (two sections).
Computer Assisted Critical Thinking,  spring 1997, winter 1997, autumn  1996.

Assistantships*

Leibniz, Hume and Kant,  winter 1992 (Peter King)
Introduction to Social/Political Philosophy,   spring 1993 (Peter King)
Introduction to Philosophy of Art,  autumn 1992 (Diana Raffman)
Introduction to Philosophy,  spring 1992 (William Taschek), autumn 1988  (Richard Creath, Arizona State), spring 1989 (Ted Gulesarian, Arizona  State), spring 1990 (Richard Creath, Arizona State)
Introduction to Logic (Informal),  autumn 1989 (Brad Armendt, Arizona State)
Introduction to Logic (Informal),  computer lab supervisor, autumn 1991 (Charles  Kielkopf)
Introduction to Ethics,  autumn 1990 (Bernard Rosen), winter 1991 (Clyde  Kilgore), spring 1991 (Kathleen Cook), winter 1993 (George Pappas)
*(all at The Ohio State University,  except where noted)