CV

Education:

  • Ph.D., Philosophy, Wayne State University, 2013.
  • M.A., Philosophy, Wayne State University, 2010.
  • B.A. (with honors), Philosophy, Michigan State University, 2007.

Areas of Specialization:

  • Ethics of Space Exploration
  • Applied Ethics (including Environmental Ethics)
  • Epistemology
  • Philosophy of Mathematics

Areas of Competence:

  • Logic
  • Ethics
  • Metaphysics

Academic Appointments:

  • Assistant Teaching Professor, Wichita State University, 2014-present.
  • Special Lecturer, Oakland University, 2011-2014.
  • Rumble Fellow, Wayne State University, 2008-2009 and 2012-2013.
  • Adjunct Faculty, Oakland Community College, 2011.
  • Graduate Teaching Assistant, Wayne State University, 2009-2012.

Books:

  • The Value of Science in Space Exploration. Oxford University Press, 2020.
  • The Ethics of Space Exploration. Lead editor (with Tony Milligan). Springer 2016.

Publications:

  • “Myth-Free Space Advocacy Part IV: The Myth of Public Support for Astrobiology.” In Social and Conceptual Issues of Astrobiology, edited by Kelly Smith and Carlos Mariscal. Oxford University Press, forthcoming.
  • “Where No Planetary Protection Policy Has Gone Before.” International Journal of Astrobiology 18 (2019): 353-361.
  • “Mars: Science Before Settlement.” Theology and Science 17 (2019): 324-331.
  • Signatory to A Manifesto for Governing Life on Mars, edited by Robert Cowley. London: King’s College London, 2019.
  • “Space Settlement: What’s the Rush?” Futures 110 (2019): 56-59.
  • “The Great Colonization Debate.” With Kelly Smith, Keith Abney, et al. Futures 110 (2019): 4-14.
  • “Worldship Ethics: Obligations to the Crew.” Journal of the British Interplanetary Society 71 (2018): 53-64.
  • “Myth-Free Space Advocacy Part III: The Myth of Educational Inspiration.” Space Policy 42 (2018): 24-32.
  • “Myth-Free Space Advocacy Part II: The Myth of the Space Frontier.” Astropolitics 15 (2017): 167-184.
  • “Myth-Free Space Advocacy Part I: The Myth of Innate Exploratory and Migratory Urges.” Acta Astronautica 137 (2017): 450-460.
  • “Some Ethical Constraints on Near-Earth Resource Exploitation.” Lead author with Tony Milligan. In Yearbook on Space Policy 2015, edited by C. Al-Ekabi, C. Baranes, P. Hulsroj, and A. Lahcen, 227-239. Springer 2017.
  • “On the Methodology of Space Ethics.” In The Ethics of Space Exploration, edited by James S.J. Schwartz and Tony Milligan, 93-107. Springer 2016.
  • Volume introduction (with Tony Milligan) to The Ethics of Space Exploration.
  • “Near-Earth Water Sources: Ethics and Fairness.” Advances in Space Research 58 (2016): 402-407.
  • “Lunar Labor Relations.” In Dissent, Revolution, and Liberty in Space, edited by Charles Cockell, 41-58. Springer 2016.
  • “Mathematical Structuralism, Modal Nominalism, and the Coherence Principle,” Philosophia Mathematica 23 (2015): 367-385.
  • “Rendezvous with Research: Government Support of Science in a Space Society,” in Human Governance Beyond Earth: Implications for Freedom, pp. 197-212, edited by Charles Cockell. Springer 2015.
  • “Fairness as a Moral Grounding for Space Policy,” in The Meaning of Liberty Beyond Earth, pp. 69-89, edited by Charles Cockell. Springer International Publishing Switzerland 2015.
  • “Prioritizing Scientific Exploration: A Comparison of the Ethical Justifications for Space Development and for Space Science,” Space Policy 30 (2014), pp. 202-208.
  • “On the Moral Permissibility of Terraforming,” Ethics and the Environment 18(2) (2013), pp. 1-31.
  • “Our Moral Obligation to Support Space Exploration,” Environmental Ethics 33 (2011), pp. 67-88.

Published Abstracts:

  • “Worldship Ethics 101: The Shipborn.” Forthcoming in Proceedings of the 2017 Tennessee Valley Interstellar Workshop.
  • “Where No Planetary Protection Policy Has Gone Before.” In Proceedings of the 2016 Tennessee Valley Interstellar Workshop, 30-37.

Funded Grants:

  • Principal Investigator. “Celebrating The Scientific Legacy of NASA and Apollo: A Symposium and Student Competitions.” NASA Kansas Space Grant Consortium, $12,580. 2019.

Invited Presentations:

  • “Concepts of Intrinsic Value for Planetary Protection Ethics.” AstroBio 2019: Barry Blumberg Memorial Workshop, Green Bank Observatory, Green Bank, WV, July 2019.
  • Invited Panelist, AstroBio 2019: Barry Blumberg Memorial Workshop, Green Bank Observatory, Green Bank, WV, July 2019.
  • Invited Panelist, Mars Settlement Workshop, London, UK, December 2019.
  • “Overcoming Metaethical Challenges to Obligations Associated with Space Settlement.” Mars Settlement Workshop, London, UK, December 2018.
  • “Myths of Space Advocacy.” Future In-Space Operations Working Group presentation (teleconference), January 2018.
  • Feature Interview on The Space Show, 27 October 2017.
  • “Planetary Protection – A Philosophical and Ethical Introduction.” Fall Physics Seminar Series, Wichita State University, September 2016.
  • “Where No Planetary Protection Policy Has Gone Before.” 2016 Tennessee Valley Interstellar Workshop, March 2016.
  • “Near-Earth Water Sources: Ethics and Fairness.” 2nd Committee on Space Research (COSPAR) Symposium on Water and Life in the Universe, Brazil, November 2015.
  • “Some Ethical Constraints on Near-Earth Resource Exploitation.” Lead author with Tony Milligan, presented by James S.J. Schwartz. European Space Policy Institute Autumn Conference, Vienna, September 2015.
  • “What Should We do When Space Exploration and Space Development Conflict?” Working Group on Science and Society, Humanities Center, Wayne State University, 2014.
  • “Lessons From Burgess.” Workshop on Natural Philosophy. Oakland University, Department of Philosophy, 2012.
  • “Is Terraforming Mars Morally Permissible?” Working Group on Science and Society, Humanities Center, Wayne State University, 2012.
  • “Our Moral Obligation to Support Space Exploration.” Oakland Community College, 2011.

Refereed Presentations:

  • “The Importance of Answering the Major Questions of Astrobiology.” Social and Conceptual Issues in Astrobiology 2018, University of Nevada, Reno.
  • “Worldship Ethics 101: The Shipborn.” 2017 Tennessee Valley Interstellar Workshop, October 2017.
  • “The Life-Bias in Planetary Protection.” Social and Conceptual Issues in Astrobiology 2016, Clemson University, September 2016.
  • “Lunar Labor Relations.” Extraterrestrial Liberty III – Dissent, Revolution, and Security in Space, UK Centre for Astrobiology/British Interplanetary Society, June 2015.
  • “Value Pluralism and the Space Environment.” Ethics of Space Exploration Workshop, University of Hertfordshire, June 2015.
  • “The False Dilemma Reply to the Burgess-Rosen Criticism of Nominalism, and why it isn’t Enough.” 2015 meeting of the Kansas Philosophical Society.
  • “The Value of Science in a Space Society.” Extraterrestrial Liberty II – Human Governance Beyond the Earth, UK Centre for Astrobiology/British Interplanetary Society, 2014.
  • “Do Numbers Exist? A Naturalist Perspective.” 4th Annual Graduate Exhibition, Wayne State University, 2013.
  • “Shapiro, Ante Rem Structuralism, and the Coherence Principle.” 2012 meeting of the Society for Exact Philosophy.
  • “A Prolegomenon to any Future Modal Metaphysics.” Wayne State University Philosophy Forum Second Annual Student Conference, 2009.

Awards:

  • Rumble Fellowship, Wayne State University, 2012-13. Awarded annually to a philosophy graduate student who demonstrates the most promise for conducting research and scholarship leading to a high quality dissertation.
  • Rumble Fellowship, Wayne State University, 2008-9. Awarded annually to an outstanding philosophy graduate student newly recruited to Wayne State.
  • Phi Beta Kappa, 2007-present.
  • Zerby Prize, Michigan State University, 2007. Awarded annually to the best undergraduate essay in philosophy.
  • Benjamin-Miller Award, Michigan State University, 2005. Awarded annually to the most promising philosophy major in the sophomore class.

Service to Profession:

  • Referee, Futures, 2019.
  • Referee, Space Policy, 2019.
  • Referee, Journal of the American Philosophical Association, 2019.
  • Session Chair, 2019 American Philosophical Association Central Meeting.
  • Session Chair, 2019 Kansas Philosophical Society Meeting.
  • Organizer, 2019 Kansas Philosophical Society Meeting.
  • Referee. Journal of the American Philosophical Association, 2018.
  • Referee, Space Policy, 2018.
  • Referee, Etyka, 2018.
  • Member, Program and Organizing Committees, Tennessee Valley Interstellar Workshop 2019.
  • Referee, Acta Astronautica, 2018.
  • Referee, Kansas Philosophical Society 2018 Conference.
  • Referee, Journal of the British Interplanetary Society, 2017.
  • Reviewer, Oxford University Press, 2017.
  • Reviewer, Routledge Publishing, 2017.
  • Referee, Journal of the American Philosophical Association, 2017.
  • Referee, Space Policy, 2016.
  • Referee, Ashgate Publishing, 2015.
  • Coordinator, Ethics of Space Exploration Workshop, University of Hertfordshire, 2015.

Service to College/University:

  • Founding Coordinator, Wichita Space Initiative Space Exploration Lecture Series, 2018-present.
  • Founding Coordinator, Wichita Space Initiative, 2018-present.
  • Member, SEPS Program Committee.
  • Wichita State University Faculty Senate, 2017-present.
  • Faculty Advisor to Nerd Union (student-run organization), Wichita State University, 2017-present.
  • Member, Teaching Faculty Advancement Committee, Wichita State University, 2017.
  • Member, Environmental Literacy Curriculum Committee, Wayne State University, 2012.

Service to Department:

  • Created PHIL 530: Ethics of Space Exploration.
  • Member, Wichita State Philosophy Department Scholarship Committee, 2016-present.
  • Created PHI 1130 Environmental Ethics at Wayne State University, 2012.
  • Vice President, Wayne State University Philosophy Forum, 2011.
  • Referee, Wayne State University Philosophy Forum Third Annual Student Conference, 2010.

Society Membership

  • American Philosophical Association, 2012-present.
  • Society for Exact Philosophy, 2012-present.
  • National Space Society, 2012-present.
  • British Interplanetary Society, 2012-present.
  • Planetary Society, 2014-present.
  • American Astronautical Society, 2012-present.
  • Wayne State University Philosophy Forum, 2008-2013.

Teaching Experience:

  • Wichita State University
    • PHIL 105 Critical Reasoning
    • PHIL 125 Introductory Logic
    • PHIL 325 Formal Logic
    • HNRS 305R Honors Seminar in Philosophy of Space Exploration
    • PHIL 699 Directed Readings in History and Philosophy of Mathematics
  • Wayne State University
    • Environmental Ethics
    • Contemporary Moral Issues
    • Critical Thinking
  • Oakland University
    • Introduction to Ethics
    • Introduction to Logic
  • Oakland Community College
    • Introduction to Informal Logic