Curriculum vitae

Expertise

  • Areas of specialization

    • Vertebrate Paleontology

    • Philosophy of Biology

    • Philosophy of Science

  • Areas of competence

    • Evolutionary Theory

    • Analytic Paleobiology

    • Phylogenetics

    • History of Science

    • Logic

    • Metaphysics

Education

  • Master of Science in Earth Sciences (Paleontology)

    • University of Oregon (June 2019)

  • Ph.D. in Philosophy

    • The Graduate Center, City University of New York (May 2013)

  • Bachelor of Arts with High Honors

    • University of Virginia (May 2003)

Teaching Experience

  • Faculty, Philosophy Department

    • Linfield College (Fall 2014 - Present)

    • Awarded tenure Spring 2020

  • Full-time Lecturer

    • Lehman College, City University of New York (Fall 2010 - Spring 2014)

  • Online Lecturer

    • Newbury College (Spring 2009)

  • Graduate Teaching Fellow

    • College of Staten Island, City University of New York (Fall 2004 - Spring 2007)

Publications

  • Betting and Hierarchy in Paleontology

    • Philosophy, Theory, and Practice in Biology doi:10.3998/ptpbio.16039257.0011.009 (2019)

  • Crossed Tracks: Mesolimulus, Archaeopteryx, and the Nature of Fossils

    • Biology and Philosophy doi:10.1007/s10539-019-9680-4 (2019)

  • De-extinction and the Conception of Species

    • Biology and Philosophy doi:10.1007/s10539-018-9639-x (2018)

  • The Extinction and De-Extinction of Species (with Helena Siipi)

    • Philosophy & Technology doi:10.1007/s13347-016-0244-0 (2016)

  • The Extended (Evolutionary) Synthesis Debate: Where Science Meets Philosophy (with Massimo Pigliucci)

    • Bioscience doi:10.1093/biosci/biu062 (2014)

    • Editor's Choice June 2014

  • The Value of Public Philosophy to Philosophers (with Massimo Pigliucci)

    • Essays in Philosophy doi:10.7710/1526-0569.1491 (2014)

Works in Progress

  • Analytical Estimation of End-Pleistocene Megafaunal Extinction Dates in North America

  • Extinction and metaphor

  • Book proposal: "Dinosaur Philosophy"

Book Reviews

  • The More Things Change, The More Things Change: Conceptual Change in Biology Edited by Alan Love

    • Metascience doi:10.1007/s11016-015-0016-y (2015)

  • Addressing Darwin's Dilemma: Eternal Ephemera by Niles Eldredge

    • Bioscience doi:10.1093/biosci/biv128 (2015)

  • Dawkins Vs. Gould by Kim Sterelny

    • Evolution: Education & Outreach doi:10.1007/s12052-008-0034-y (2008)

  • Living With Darwin by Philip Kitcher

    • Evolution: Education & Outreach doi:10.1007/s12052-008-0040-0 (2008)

doctoral thesis

  • Systematics and the Selection of Species

Masters Thesis

  • Anthropogenic and Non-anthropogenic Contributions to End-Pleistocene Megafaunal Extinctions in the American West

Conference Presentations

  • Extinction and epistemology

    • Western Association of Vertebrate Paleontologists 2019 Meeting

  • On the death of species: Extinction reconsidered

    • Philosophy of Science Association 2018 Meeting

  • Small mammals of the Crooked River Mascall Formation

    • Society of Vertebrate Paleontology 2018 Meeting

  • Crossed tracks: Taxa and parataxa in paleontology

    • Society of Vertebrate Paleontology 2017 Meeting

  • What, if anything, is a Tyrannosaurus rex?

    • Species in the Age of Discordance conference, University of Utah (2017)

  • Metaphysical ambiguities in paleontology

    • Philosophy of Science Association 2016 Meeting

  • De-extinction and the conception of species

    • International Society for the History, Philosophy, and Social Study of Biology 2015 Meeting

  • Species selection and the individuality thesis: Lessons in ontology from a Tasmanian wolf

    • International Society for the History, Philosophy, and Social Study of Biology 2013 Meeting

  • Divergence in Darwin and Divergence from Darwin

    • Philosophy and Theory in Biology Young Investigators' Symposium (2013)

  • The Potential and Peril of Faculty-Fellow Interaction (with Stephanie Jeanjean and Carl Lindskoog)

    • WID/WAC at CUNY Conference 2009

  • Commentary: Virtue and the Conditionality of Benefit

    • Tenth Annual Graduate Student Conference, CUNY Graduate Center Department of Philosophy (2007)

Talks

  • Extinction: Death and Memory

  • Star Wars Extraterrestrials, Evolution, and Ethics

  • Ancient Oregon: Where the Dinosaurs Didn't Roam

  • Dinner with Dinosaurs

  • Fuzzy Logic: Assessing the Evidence for Dinosaur Feathers

  • Dinosaur Philosophy

Service to the discipline

  • Conference Organization

    • Philosophy and Theory in Biology Young Investigators' Symposium (2013)

  • Peer Reviewer

    • British Journal of Philosophy of Science (2019)

    • Philosophy and Biology (2018)

    • Evolutionary Biology (2016)

    • Philosophy and Theory in Biology (2010)

    • Evolution: Education and Outreach (2009)

Nontechnical Writing

  • Pop Culture and Philosophy Essays

    • "Can the Zillo Beast Strike Back? Cloning, De-extinction, and the Species Problem" in Ultimate Star Wars and Philosophy

    • "Superman and Man: What a Kryptonian Can Teach Us About Human Nature" in Superman and Philosophy

    • "All For One and One For All: Mogo, the Collective, and Biological Unity" in Green Lantern and Philosophy

  • Blog Contributions

    • Extinct

    • Scientia Salon

    • Rationally Speaking

  • Other

    • “Modern-day Monsters: Godzilla” in The Linfield Magazine

    • Introduction to Dinosaurs by M.K. Reed and Joe Flood

    • "Making Sense of Scientific Facts" in Yamhill County News-Register

Outreach

  • McMinnville Thought Laboratory organizer and discussion leader

  • Center for Inquiry Long Island Philosophy Group discussion leader