Saint Michael's College

Title: Assistant Professor of Philosophy & Global Studies

Education: B.A. Salisbury State University; M.A., M.Phil., Ph.D. Fordham

Areas of Expertise/Research Interests: Ethics (including the philosophical ethics tradition, metaethics, applied ethics, and global ethical issues); Emmanuel Levinas (French postmodern ethicist); Continental philosophy

Testimonial: I feel very lucky to have a position which allows me to teach exactly what interests me philosophically.

What do you like most about teaching/working at Saint Michael's College? I love the Saint Mike's community because you have the opportunity to really come to know students and colleagues and to work together in areas of shared interest and concern.

What do you like about Saint Michael's students? I like that Saint Mike's students appreciate humor in the classroom. I believe this happens because the students are open to real engagement with their professors, which provides an opportunity for true philosophical discourse, while creating a space wherein people can feel comfortable to be themselves and speak their minds. It really enriches the experience of teaching for me.

What is your favorite class to teach, and why? While I love teaching courses that tackle ethical questions of all kinds and from many perspectives, it is still the case that Introduction to Philosophy is one of my favorite courses to teach. I really enjoy the challenge of introducing students to what philosophy is all about in a way that helps them to see the relevance of such contemplation for their lives. It's exciting to see my students progress from such an introduction to active engagement later in upper-division courses.

What kinds of unique opportunities are available to students in your classes or department? I've become a huge proponent of service-learning courses, wherein there is practical engagement with the community that breathes a certain life into the texts we read and discuss. I find that service-learning opportunities set the stage for a close philosophical (phenomenological) exploration of our lived experiences, especially in courses that challenge students to think about ethical or moral responsibility and engagement.