- BA University of California at Santa Barbara
- MA California State University
- PhD University of Minnesota
- University Department Religion and Philosophy
- Location 214 David R. Hayworth Hall
- Phone Number +1 (336) 841-9656
- Email [email protected]
Areas of specialization:
- Technology Ethics
- Leadership Ethics
- Ethical Theory
- Philosophy of Science
- Business Ethics
Courses Taught:
- Technology Ethics
- Minds, Machines & Human Beings
- Honors 1100: Humanistic Inquiry
- Ethical Theory
- Leadership Ethics in the Global Context (Graduate Course)
I never planned to become a philosopher. As an aimless college student, I was simply drawn to the big questions—about life, meaning, and existence. Philosophy nurtured that curiosity and unexpectedly prepared me for a Fortune 500 consulting job. But the calling to pursue deeper understanding led me to leave my corporate job and pursue greater meaning in graduate school. There, I focused on moral philosophy and the philosophy of science, synthesizing the two in my dissertation. I was fortunate to study under Norman Bowie, a leader in business ethics, who helped shape my interests in applied ethics.
At HPU, I teach courses like Minds, Machines, and Human Beings, where students explore timeless philosophical questions through the lenses of current and near-future technology, often portrayed in films, stories, and games. My writing includes articles in academic journals and books: e.g., “Spirituality Incorporated” in The Journal of Business Ethics, “Bumfights & Care Ethics: A Case Study” in Ethics of Care (Springer, 2011), as well as philosophical essays in popular press volumes, Inception and Philosophy, Avatar and Philosophy, Ender’s Game and Philosophy.
My current research examines the ethics of artificial intelligence, particularly how large language models simulate moral agency, and the associated challenges of their value alignment. I’m interested in whether machines can (or should) be morally trustworthy proxies for human moral action.
In the Department of Religion & Philosophy, I feel quite fortunate to work alongside inspiring colleagues and students at a university committed to preparing students for the ethical challenges of the 21st century.