CV (abridged)

Note: You can find copies of some of my publications and works in progress at my Academia.edu and Researchgate.net pages.

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)
  • Philosophy of Disability

Areas of Competence:

  • Logic
  • Ethics
  • Philosophy of Mathematics

Academic Appointments:

  • Associate Professor of Philosophy, 2023-present.
  • Assistant Professor of Philosophy, 2020-2023.
  • Associate Teaching Professor, 2020.
  • Assistant Teaching Professor, 2014-2020.
  • 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:

  1. Reclaiming Space: Progressive and Multicultural Visions of Space Exploration. Lead editor (with Linda Billings and Erika Nesvold). Oxford University Press.  Oxford University Press, 2023. Purchase at: https://global.oup.com/academic/product/reclaiming-space-9780197604793
  2. The Value of Science in Space Exploration. Oxford University Press, 2020. Purchase at: https://global.oup.com/academic/product/the-value-of-science-in-space-exploration-9780190069063 or https://www.amazon.com/Value-Science-Space-Exploration/dp/0190069066/
  3. The Ethics of Space Exploration. Lead editor (with Tony Milligan). Springer 2016. Purchase at: https://www.springer.com/us/book/9783319398259 or https://www.amazon.com/Ethics-Space-Exploration-Society/dp/3319398253/

Publications:

  1. “Appreciating What’s Really Beautiful About Space.” In Reclaiming Space: Progressive and Multicultural Visions of Space Exploration, edited by James Schwartz, Linda Billings, and Erika Nesvold, pp. 139-148. Oxford University Press.
  2. “An Introduction to Reclaiming Space” (with Linda Billings and Erika Nesvold) to Reclaiming Space: Progressive and Multicultural Visions of Space Exploration, pp. 1-22. Oxford University Press.
  3. “Justice in Space: Demanding Political Philosophy for Demanding Environments.” In Institutions of Extraterrestrial Liberty, edited by Charles Cockell, pp. 411-422. Oxford University Press.
  4. “A Right to Return to Earth? Emigration Policy for the Lunar State.” In The Human Factor in Settlement of the Moon, edited by Konrad Szocik and Margaret Boone Rappaport, pp. 193-205. Springer, 2021.
  5. “A Space Settler’s Bill of Rights.” With Russell Greenall-Sharp, David Kobza, Courtney Houston, Mohammad Allabad, and Jamie Staggs. In Astrobiology: Science, Ethics, and Public Policy, edited by Octavio Chon-Torres, Richard Gordon, Joseph Seckbach, and Ted Peters, pp. 377-388. Wiley, 2021.
  6. “Gunnery Sergeant Draper and the Martian Congressional Republic’s Vision for Mars.” In The Expanse and Philosophy: So Far Out Into The Darkness, edited by Jeffery Nicholas, pp. 151-160. Wiley, 2021.
  7. “What Do We Need To Ask Before Settling Space?” Lead author with Sheri Wells-Jensen, John Traphagan, Deana Weibel, and Kelly Smith. Journal of the British Interplanetary Society 74 (2021): 140-149.
  8. “The Accessible Universe: On the Choice to Require Bodily Modifications for Space Exploration.” In Human Enhancements for Space Missions: Lunar, Martian, and future Missions to the Outer Planets, edited by Konrad Szocik, pp. 201-215. Springer, 2020.
  9. “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, pp. 263-287. Oxford University Press, 2020.
  10. “Where No Planetary Protection Policy Has Gone Before.” International Journal of Astrobiology 18 (2019): 353-361.
  11. “Mars: Science Before Settlement.” Theology and Science 17 (2019): 324-331.
  12. Signatory to A Manifesto for Governing Life on Mars, edited by Robert Cowley. London: King’s College London, 2019.
  13. “Space Settlement: What’s the Rush?” Futures 110 (2019): 56-59.
  14. “The Great Colonization Debate.” With Kelly Smith, Keith Abney, et al. Futures 110 (2019): 4-14.
  15. “Worldship Ethics: Obligations to the Crew.” Journal of the British Interplanetary Society 71 (2018): 53-64.
  16. “Myth-Free Space Advocacy Part III: The Myth of Educational Inspiration.” Space Policy 42 (2018): 24-32.
  17. “Myth-Free Space Advocacy Part II: The Myth of the Space Frontier.” Astropolitics 15 (2017): 167-184.
  18. “Myth-Free Space Advocacy Part I: The Myth of Innate Exploratory and Migratory Urges.” Acta Astronautica 137 (2017): 450-460.
  19. “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, pp. 227-239. Springer 2017.
  20. “On the Methodology of Space Ethics.” In The Ethics of Space Exploration, edited by James S.J. Schwartz and Tony Milligan, pp. 93-107. Springer, 2016.
  21. Volume introduction (with Tony Milligan) to The Ethics of Space Exploration.
  22. “Near-Earth Water Sources: Ethics and Fairness.” Advances in Space Research 58 (2016): 402-407.
  23. “Lunar Labor Relations.” In Dissent, Revolution, and Liberty in Space, edited by Charles Cockell, pp. 41-58. Springer, 2016.
  24. “Mathematical Structuralism, Modal Nominalism, and the Coherence Principle.” Philosophia Mathematica 23 (2015): 367-385.
  25. “Rendezvous with Research: Government Support of Science in a Space Society.” In Human Governance Beyond Earth: Implications for Freedom, edited by Charles Cockell, pp. 197-212. Springer, 2015.
  26. “Fairness as a Moral Grounding for Space Policy.” In The Meaning of Liberty Beyond Earth, edited by Charles Cockell, pp. 69-89. Springer, 2015.
  27. “Prioritizing Scientific Exploration: A Comparison of the Ethical Justifications for Space Development and for Space Science.” Space Policy 30 (2014): 202-208.
  28. “On the Moral Permissibility of Terraforming.” Ethics and the Environment 18(2) (2013): 1-31.
  29. “Our Moral Obligation to Support Space Exploration.” Environmental Ethics 33 (2011), pp. 67-88.

Published Abstracts:

  • “Near-Earth Resources: Short-Term Limitations with Interstellar Consequences.” In Proceedings of the Sixth Interstellar Symposium and Advanced Propulsion Workshop.
  • “Worldship Ethics 101: The Shipborn.” 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.

Grants:

  • Principal Investigator. “Expanding Access to Space: Philosophy of Disability and Ethics of Space Exploration.” Wichita State University Award for Research/Creative projects, $4,000. 2022.
  • 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 (not current):

  • “The Ethics of Space Exploration.” Exploration Place science museum, November 2021.
  • “Appreciating What’s Really Beautiful About Space.” Reclaiming Space Workshop, Wichita State University, October 2021.
  • “A Right to Return to Earth? Emigration Policy for the Lunar State.” Institutions of Extraterrestrial Liberty, University of Edinburgh, June 2021.
  • Invited Panelist, Cultural Considerations Working group, Moon Village Association, April 2021.
  • “What’s Worth Protecting in Space?” Center for Space Habitability, University of Bern, April 2021.
  • “How We Talk About Space Matters: Is It Time to Rethink Space Advocacy?” 2021 IEEE Aerospace Plenary Lecture, March 2021.
  • “Planetary Protection: Is Life All That Matters?” Durham University, February 2021.
  • “Rethinking How We Talk About Space: Lessons from The Expanse.” Lone Star College, January 2021.
  • “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.
  • “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 (not current):

  • “What Does ‘Ability’ Mean in Space?” AbSciCon 2022 poster presentation, May 2022.
  • “What Does ‘Ability’ Mean in Space?” 2022 Meeting of the Society for Social and Conceptual Issues in Astrobiology, Ole Miss, March 2022.
  • “The Accessible Universe: On the Choice to Require Bodily Modification for Space Exploration.” Social and Conceptual Issues in Astrobiology Virtual Meeting, December 2020.
  • “The Accessible Universe: On the Choice to Require Bodily Modification for Space Exploration.” Kansas Philosophical Society 2020 Meeting, Johnson County Community College, February 2020.
  • “Near-Earth Resources: Short-Term Limitations with Interstellar Consequences.” 6th Interstellar Symposium and Advanced Propulsion Workshop, Wichita, KS, November 2019.
  • “The Importance of Answering the Major Questions of Astrobiology.” Social and Conceptual Issues in Astrobiology, University of Nevada, Reno, April 2018.
  • “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:

  • Wichita State University President’s Distinguished Service Award, 2021.
  • 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.

Teaching Experience:

  • Wichita State University
    • PHIL 105 Critical Reasoning
    • PHIL 125 Introductory Logic
    • PHIL 325 Formal Logic
    • PHIL 385 Engineering Ethics
    • HNRS 305R Honors Seminar in Philosophy of Space Exploration
    • PHIL 530 Ethics of Space Exploration
    • PHIL 590AD Environmental Ethics
    • PHIL 699 Directed Readings in History and Philosophy of Mathematics
    • PHYS 845 Space Science Foundations
    • POLS 391R Space Politics
  • 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