Professor
Hobbies: Having fun with family and friends, hiking, walking, camping (and occasionally backpacking), poetry, pottery, amateur photography, travel, and motorcycling.
Service: I have served the university, community and profession in many ways. For example, I created and run the Humboldt Philosophy Forum, a university / community forum that examines pressing contemporary topics and that aims to educate in a way thatis reflective, and is critical as well constructive. The forum has featured distinguished speakers such as Peter Singer, Janet Mock, Jennifer Finney Boylan, Tarana Burke, and George Yancy. Since arriving at Humboldt, I have also served as a biomedical ethics consultant, and now continue to do so on both a local and national level.
I have an edited book, and have published numerous articles in journals, as book chapters, and as entries in academic texts, in the areas of comparative philosophy, ancient Chinese philosophy, ethics, gender and identity theory, and philosophical psychology. I have published book reviews, have given keynote and other invited talks, and have presented at numerous conferences around the world, including in China, the Czech Republic, England, Germany, Israel, Mexico, Singapore, and at many venues in the USA. I was invited as a Fulbright Scholar to teach and do research in the Czech Republic for the academic year of 2004-2005 at Charles University in Prague in the areas of Chinese philosophy, ethics, and comparative philosophy. I also gave guest lectures at the University of Pardubice and have returned regularly to teach and do research in the Czech Republic as a result of that award. This was more than just a learning experience for me and my family; it was one of the best and most formative experiences that we have had the pleasure to share together. We have lasting friendships built out of that opportunity, and continue to carry those memories with us as the years pass.
I have taught many courses at Cal Poly Humboldt over the years, and am currently in the FERP (retirement) process so only teach during the fall semesters. I now mainly teach PHIL 104: Asian Philosophy, PHIL 106: Moral Controversies, PHIL 107: Introduction to Philosophy, and PHIL 304: Philosophy of Sex and love (all GEAR courses). All of my courses include a ‘practical learning’ component, to show how philosophy itself is a practical discipline.
Seminars for the major that I have taught are: American Philosophy, Philosophy of Death, Philosophy of Mind, and Philosophy in Literature.
