I am an Assistant Professor of Philosophy at Denison University in Granville, Ohio. My areas of specialization include ethics, political philosophy, philosophy of law, and philosophy of education. I consider myself a political philosopher above all else, since I tend to first approach any question of applied ethics at the institutional level. On the philosophy of law front, my research focuses on criminal justice, what criminality means socially, how criminal actions should be handled by the state, and what institutions of public safety ought to be like.
My approach to philosophy of education is similarly institutionally-oriented. I have written about the unique obstacles facing students who attend school outside of their countries of origin or countries of residence, how universities ought to respond to sociological research about the impacts different parenting styles have on student success, and whether certain parenting styles objectionably perpetuate racial and socioeconomic achievement gaps.
Though my specializations are in value theory and related areas, I have a minor concentration in philosophy of mind, and I enjoy dabbling here and there in the metaphysics of time and space.
I received my PhD at the University of Wisconsin-Madison under the supervision of Harry Brighouse.
As much as I enjoy thinking about and sharing my research, it is teaching that I really love. I love getting to know my students. I love thinking through philosophical problems with them, learning from their perspectives, helping them to see issues from different angles, exposing them to new ideas, and helping to develop their capacities of reason and communication. Even on the worst of days, a good class session can leave me in good spirits.
Outside of work, I am an avowed introvert, an avid vegetable gardener, a kayaking enthusiast, and a lover of story rich television and video games. My partner and I have two dogs who keep us active through the colder months, and we spend as much of the summer outdoors as we can, preferably growing things and building things.
