I am Associate Professor of Philosophy & Liberal Studies at William Paterson University (NJ). Prior to joining the philosophy department at WPU, I was a Visiting Assistant Professor in the philosophy department at Grand Valley State University, and a Visiting Instructor in the philosophy department at Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville. I received my Ph.D. from the University of South Florida in 2012 and, during the final year of my doctoral work, was a Visiting Researcher in the philosophy department at Georgetown University.
A Florida native, I was born and raised near Jacksonville, Florida. I completed my undergraduate education …
I am Associate Professor of Philosophy & Liberal Studies at William Paterson University (NJ). Prior to joining the philosophy department at WPU, I was a Visiting Assistant Professor in the philosophy department at Grand Valley State University, and a Visiting Instructor in the philosophy department at Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville. I received my Ph.D. from the University of South Florida in 2012 and, during the final year of my doctoral work, was a Visiting Researcher in the philosophy department at Georgetown University.
A Florida native, I was born and raised near Jacksonville, Florida. I completed my undergraduate education at Flagler College with a dual focus in Philosophy and Business Administration. After completing my M.A. in Philosophy and M.S. in Management at the University of South Florida, I participated in a NEH Summer Institute focusing on the History of Political Economy.
My research explores how moral theory can provide conceptual tools to guide our personal practical actions and public policies. I argue that a good moral theory should be useful in guiding actions in non-idealized situations and be able to address the social reality of particular people. In other words, our moral theories and public policies should be responsive to the fact that we live in a society in which some are systematically made vulnerable in light of the way social institutions respond to differences in gender, race, class, or sexual orientation. I draw on contemporary moral theory, agency theory, and feminist philosophy to critically examine contemporary ethical issues through a non-idealized lens. My research interests are broadly interdisciplinary, bridging conceptions of group agency, individual autonomy, and personal freedoms as they are taken up and played out in different facets of society.