简介

Master of Science, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, 1993 Master of Arts, University at Albany, SUNY, 1997 Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), University at Albany, SUNY, 2002 My graduate degrees are in Philosophy, and I also have an undergraduate background in science. My dissertation, which I later expanded into a book, was on the topic of weakness of will, a perennial philosophical problem as well as a perennial problem of human life. I have been teaching undergraduate Philosophy courses for the past twenty years, starting while I was completing a Masters degree at Rensselaer in the early 1990s. From 2002 until 2007, I taught Philosophy courses in the Cognitive Science Department at Rensselaer on a part-time basis. I rejoined the Cognitive Science Department as a full-time Lecturer in January of 2012. Courses that I am teaching this academic year include Introduction to Philosophy, Philosophy of Biology, Scientific Revolutions, Philosophy of Religion, and Environmental Philosophy. Currently I am returning to the topic of weakness of will or moral weakness and plan to expand upon my previous work in this area, hopefully in a way that will involve collaboration with one or more faculty colleagues. Additionally, I am beginning work on a short primer text in ethical theory that I hope to submit for publication. I also continue to build my background in philosophy of religion, and have a deep interest in issues at the intersection of religion, science, and philosophy. During the past year, I presented a conference paper on the issue of whether or not Philosophy can or should serve as a comprehensive guide to life. I think this is the sort of "big picture" question that is vitally important but often forgotten or overlooked as we focus on more specific questions within Philosophy and adjacent disciplines.