M.A. Philosophy, Western Michigan University (2008)
B.A. Philosophy, University of Puget Sound (2004)
Peer-Reviewed Publications
“Causal Inference from Noise” with Nevin Climenhaga and Grant Ramsey (Forthcoming) Noûs.
“Natural Selection and Mechanistic Regularity” (2016) Studies in History and Philosophy of Biological and Biomedical Sciences 57: 13-23
“Toward a Propensity Interpretation of Stochastic Mechanism for the Life Sciences” (2015) Synthese. 192 (9):2921-2953.
“Against Regular and Irregular Characterizations of Mechanisms” (2011) Philosophy of Science 78 (5): 914-925.
“Sober and Elgin on Laws of Biology: A Critique” (2010) Biology and Philosophy 25:249-256.
Book Chapters
“Mechanisms in Evolutionary Biology” (2018) Routledge Handbook of Philosophy of Mechanisms, Eds. Stuart Glennan and Phyllis Illari. 296-307.
Articles in Preparation
Paper on Modal Explanation (with Grant Ramsey)
Paper on Extending Evolutionary Individuality (with Caleb Hazelwood)
Paper on Final Causes in the Life Sciences
Selected Presentations
“The Case for Final Causes in the Life Sciences” International Society for the History, Philosophy, and Social Studies of Biology Meeting, Oslo, Norway (July 2019)
“Dismantling the Holobiont Problem for Evolutionary Individuality” Philosophy of Science Association Biannual Meeting: Poster Session, Seattle, Washington (Nov 2018)
“Extended Evolutionary Individuality: an Appeal to Multi-dimensional Heredity” Generalized Theory of Evolution Conference, University of Düsseldorf, Germany (Feb 2018)
“Ethics of Data Tagging for Big Data Science: A Case-Study on Racial Identifiers” SciDataCon, Denver(September 2016)
“Natural Selection as a Mechanism: Process vs. Product Regularity” American Philosophical Association Central Division Meeting, Chicago (March 2016)
“Causal-Possibility Explanations” (with Grant Ramsey) European Philosophy of Science Association Meeting, Düsseldorf, Germany (September 2015)
“On the Role of Unactualized Possibilities in Biological Explanation” International Society for the History, Philosophy, and Social Studies of Biology Meeting, Montreal, Canada (July 2015)
“Thinking about Stochastic Mechanisms” Invited Brown-bag Lecture, Program for the History and Philosophy of Science at the University of Notre Dame (November 2014)
“Toward a Propensity Interpretation of Stochastic Mechanism for the Life Sciences” European Philosophy of Science Association, Helsinki, Finland (August 2013)
“Grounding Probabilistic Generalizations in the Life Sciences: A Propensity Interpretation of Stochastic Mechanism,” International Society for the History, Philosophy, and Social Studies of Biology Meeting, Montpellier, France (July 2013)
“Mechanism and Chance” University of Pittsburg/Carnegie Mellon University Graduate Student Conference (April 2013)
“A Propensity Interpretation of Stochastic Mechanism: Lessons from Fitness, Selection, and Drift”, DC History and Philosophy of Biology Meeting, (March 2013)
“Mechanism and Chance: Toward a Working Account of Stochastic Mechanism”, DC History and Philosophy of Biology Meeting, (June 2012)
“Mechanisms, Regularity, and Stochasticity”, Invited Distinguished Alumni Speaker, Western Michigan University Graduate Conference, (Winter 2011)
“Relocating Objectivity in Environment Ethics: an Appeal to Objective Reasons”; International Society for the History, Philosophy, and Social Studies of Biology Meeting, Salt Lake City, Utah, (Summer 2011)
“Against Regular and Irregular Characterizations of Mechanisms”; Philosophy of Science Association Meeting, Montreal, Canada (Fall 2010)
Teaching Experience
Missouri Western State University
Ethics
Introduction to Philosophy
History and Philosophy of the Natural Sciences
Philosophy of Biology
Technology and Society
Advanced topics in Philosophy of Evolutionary Biology
Honors Colloquium on Free Will and Determinism
Honors Colloquium on Freedom, Identity, and the Self
Advanced topics in Ethical Theory: Metaethics
Advanced topics in Practical Ethics: Immigration
University of Notre Dame
Philosophy and Biology
Philosophy of Science
Philosophy of Science (Graduate Survey Course)
Mechanisms (Graduate Seminar)
University of Maryland, College Park
Metaphysics
Philosophy of the Environment
Philosophy of the Environment (Online Course)
Western Michigan University
Critical Reasoning
Introduction to Ethics
Honors and Awards
LAS Faculty Development Award, Missouri Western State University (2016)
Distinguished Graduate Student Teacher Award, University of Maryland, College Park (2014)
International Society for the History, Philosophy, and Social Studies of Biology Student Travel Grant (2013)
International Conference Student Support Award, University of Maryland, College Park (2013)
Jacob K. Goldhaber Travel Grant, University of Maryland, College Park (2013)
Moreland Perkins Graduate Fellowship, University of Maryland, College Park (2013)
Brian Hull Award for the Best First Year Graduate Student (Co-recipient), University of Maryland, College Park (2011)
History of Science Society Travel Grant for PSA Montreal (2010)
Full-time Graduate Assistantship and Tuition Remission, University of Maryland, College Park (2009 – present)
Full-time Graduate Assistantship and Tuition Remission, Western Michigan University (2006-2008).
2nd Place in Western Michigan University’s Annual Philosophy Essay Contest: “Defending Motivational Humeanism” (2008)
D.H. Harder Humanities Scholarship, University of Puget Sound (2000).
Dean’s Scholarship for Academic Merit, University of Puget Sound (2000).
Service
MWSU Ad Hoc Committee for General Studies Assessment (Fall 2019- Present)
MWSU Western Excellence Award Committee Member (Fall 2019- Present)
MWSU Academy for General Studies Assessment Participant (Fall 2018)
MWSU General Studies Committee Secretary (2018-2019)
Missouri Western Online Teaching Committee Member (2016)
Missouri Western Peer Review/Syllabi Committee Member (2016)
Notre Dame HPS Qualifying Paper Oral Examiner (2015)
Philosophy Graduate Representative on the Advisory Panel for Arts and Humanities: Undergraduates Interested in Pursuing Graduate School (2012, 2013)
Graduate Student Representative on the Program Review Committee for the Department of Philosophy at the University of Maryland, College Park (2013)
Representative to the Dean’s Graduate Advisory Board (2011 – 2013)
Committee Member, Referee, and Principal Organizer of the First Annual Western Michigan Graduate Student Philosophy Conference (2007).
Journal Refereeing
Philosophy Compass
Philosophy of Science
Studies in History and Philosophy of Science
Journal Studies in History and Philosophy of Biological and Biomedical Sciences
