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.
Publications:
- 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, forthcoming.
- “Worldship Ethics: Obligations to the Crew.” Journal of the British Interplanetary Society 71 (2018): 53-64.
- “Where No Planetary Protection Policy Has Gone Before.” International Journal of Astrobiology, forthcoming.
- “Myth-Free Space Advocacy Part III: The Myth of Educational Inspiration.” Space Policy 42: 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.
- The Ethics of Space Exploration. Lead editor (with Tony Milligan). Springer 2016.
- “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.
Invited Presentations:
- Invited Panelist, Mars Settlement Workshop, London, UK, December 2019.
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“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, 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:
- 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