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Hometown

 Chicago, Illinois (Originally from NE Ohio)

What attracted you to Arrupe College?

I’m passionate about learning to foster and live in inclusive communities, both inside and outside of higher education. The small, intimate size of Arrupe, the mission, and the personal atmosphere that pervades our building provide such terrific nourishment for that passion.

Talk a little about the classes you teach.

I use a student-centered, discussion-based teaching approach that focuses on developing foundational intellectual and dispositional skills of philosophy. Some past courses have focused on the philosophy of the city, participatory democracy, philosophy of friendship, the conceptual history of personhood, and philosophy of disability.

How did you get involved in teaching philosophy?

Thinking critically about the social, political, and religious traditions around me has been important to me for a long time. I really relate to this comment from a famous chef (I don’t remember who): “I made a choice to become a chef at age 14, and I’ve never changed my mind.” My friends, family, and teachers have almost always supported that and helped me grow into that decision along the way.

What’s your favorite part about teaching... and the biggest challenge?

One of my many favorite things about teaching is to see students begin responding to each other in a way that deepens the process of philosophical inquiry—especially when the topic is one that they are passionate about. I feel really lucky to be present for those moments. One of the biggest challenges for me has been to find the right ways to assess student learning. There’s just so much that’s problematic about traditional grading/assessment practices in higher education!