Awarded PhDs and Placements

Degrees Listed by Academic Year

2023-2024

  • Katrina Kish
    • Advisor: Heather Battaly
    • Dissertation: Care for Perspective: A Liberatory Virtue Analysis of Trust and Distrust
  • Susanna Melkonian-Altshuler
    • Advisor: Keith Simmons
    • Dissertation: Truth Depends on Reality: A Defense of Deflationism
    • First Appointment: Postdoc, University of Vienna, and Tutor, Jesus College, Oxford
  • Yuhan Liang
    • Advisor: Heather Battaly
    • Dissertation: Diverse Virtues and Universal Values—A Confucian Exemplarist Approach to Virtue Cultivation
  • David Rodriguez
    • Advisor: Heather Battaly
    • Dissertation: Character Growth Externalism: An Approach to Vice Epistemology
  • Mengyu Hu
    • Advisor: Lionel Shapiro
    • Dissertation: Expressivist Semantics, Metaethical Taxonomy and Functional Explanation
  • Eric Berg
    • Michael Lynch
    • Dissertation: Hacking Reality: Propaganda and Epistemology in Online Environments

2022-2023

  • Christopher Rahlwes
    • Advisor: Alexus McLeod
    • Dissertation: Negation, Denial, and Classical Asian Logic
    • First Appointment: Visiting Assistant Professor, University of Connecticut
  • Mandy Long
    • Advisor: Lewis Gordon
    • Dissertation: People at Work: Demystifying the Meaning and Value of Work in Light of Ethical Freedom
    • First Appointment: Assistant Professor (tenure track), Community College of Rhode Island
  • Heather Muraviov
    • Advisor: Heather Battaly
    • Dissertation: Liberatory Virtue Epistemology
    • First Appointment: Postdoctoral Research Associate, Center for Philosophy of Religion at the University of Notre Dame
  • Jenelle Salisbury
    • Advisor: William G. Lycan
    • Dissertation: The Unity of Consciousness and the First-Person Perspective (www.jenellegloria.com)
    • First Appointment: Assistant Professor (tenure-track), Delta College, Michigan

2021-2022

  • Rashed Ahmad
    • Advisor: Keith Simmons
    • Dissertation: Ungroundedness and Paradox
    • First Appointment: Assistant Professor at Kuwait University
  • Phillip Barron
    • Advisor: Lewis Gordon
    • Dissertation: Distributed Identity
    • First Appointment: Post-doctoral Fellowship, Lewis & Clark College
  • Mary Gregg
    • Advisor: William G. Lycan and Lewis Gordon
    • Dissertation: No Funny Business: The Untold Help of Harmful Visual Jokes
    • First Appointment: Underwood International College, Yonsei University
    • Current Appointment: Lecturer, Underwood International College, Yonsei University
  • Kensuke Ito
    • Advisor: Keith Simmons
    • Dissertation: Denial and Assertion
    • First Appointment: Three-year post-doctoral position at the University of Tokyo, sponsored by the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS)
  • Drew Johnson
    • Advisor: Dorit Bar-On
    • Dissertation: A Hybrid Theory of Ethical Thought and Discourse
    • First Appointment: Postdoctoral Researcher, University of Oslo
  • Darian Spearman
    • Advisor: Lewis Gordon
    • Dissertation: Myth, Meaning and the Foundations for An Africana Philosophy of Myth
    • First Appointment: Assistant Professor at Gonzaga University
  • Cody Turner
    • Advisor: Michael P. Lynch
    • Dissertation: A Virtue Epistemology of Brain-Computer Interface and Augmented Reality Technology
    • First Appointment: Postdoctoral Fellow at the Notre Dame Technology Ethics Center

2020-2021

  • Tithi Basu Mallik
    • Advisor: William Lycan
    • Dissertation: A Perspective on Self-Deception
    • First Appointment: Assistant Director for Graduate Student and Postdoctoral Support, University of Kentucky
    • Current Appointment: Assistant Dean for Postdoctoral Affairs, Office of the Dean of Faculty, Princeton University
    • Kristin Culbertson
      • Advisor: Alexus McLeod
      • Dissertation: Embracing the Non-Ideal: A Suffering-Oriented Ethical Approach
      • First Appointment: Visiting Assistant Professor, Fairfield University
    • Ryo Tanaka
      • Advisor: Dorit Bar-On
      • Dissertation: Semantic Competence: Speaker's Knowledge and Expression
      • First Appointment: Three-year post-doctoral position at the University of Tokyo, sponsored by the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS)
      • Current Appointment: Adjunct Research Fellow at the University of Tokyo (April 2024 - March 2025)

    2019-2020

    • Teresa Allen
      • Advisor: Michael P. Lynch
      • Dissertation: Engaging Others
    • Junyeol Kim
      • Advisors: Marcus Rossberg and Michael P. Lynch
      • Dissertation: Frege's Conception of Truth as an Object
      • First Appointment: Research Assistant Professor of Philosophy, College of General Education, Kookmin University
      • Current Appointment: Compass Ethics Consulting
    • Jordan Ochs
    • David Pruitt
      • Advisor: Keith Simmons
      • Dissertation: A Nominalistic Theory of Logical Consequence

    2018-2019

    • Richard Anderson
      • Advisor: Marcus Rossberg
      • Dissertation: The Frege-Geach Problem for Normative Propositions
    • Jared Henderson
      • Advisor: Keith Simmons
      • Dissertation: Degrees and Deflationism
      • First Appointment: Ontological Engineer, Cycorp (Austin, TX)
      • Current Appointment: Information Architect, PayPal
    • Nathan Kellen
      • Website: http://www.nathankellen.com/
      • Advisor: Michael P. Lynch
      • Dissertation: Pluralisms about Truth and Logic
      • First Appointment: Visiting Assistant Professor - Kansas State University
    • Dana Francisco Miranda
      • Website: danafmiranda.com
      • Advisor: Lewis Gordon
      • Dissertation: Approaching Cadavers: A Philosophical Consideration of Suicide and Depression in the African Diaspora
      • First Appointment: Assistant Professor of Philosophy, Muhlenberg College
      • Current Appointment: Tenure-track Assistant Professor, Philosophy Department, University of Massachusetts at Boston

     

    2017-2018

    • Emma Bjorngard Basyane
      • Advisor: Mitch Green
      • Dissertation: An Embodiment Constrain on Theories of Affect
      • First Appointment: Academic Advisor & Program Coordinator in the UConn School of Business
      • Current Appointment: Academic Advisor, University of Oregon's College of Education
    • Hanna Gunn
      • Website: hannakirigunn.com
      • Advisor: Michael Lynch
      • Dissertation: Social-Epistemic Agency
      • First Appointment: Mellon Assistant Professor of Philosophy at Vanderbilt University
      • Current Appointment: Assistant Professor (tenure-track) in the department of Cognitive and Information Sciences at the University of California, Merced
    • Alycia LaGuardia-LoBianco
      • Website: http://alycia-laguardia-lobianco.com/
      • Advisor: Paul Bloomfield and Daniel Silvermint
      • Dissertation: Suffering and Self-Sabotage in Ethical Life
      • First Appointment: Resident Ethics Fellow, Stockdale Center for Ethics, United States Naval Academy
      • Current Appointment: Assistant Professor of Philosophy (tenure-track), Grand Valley State University
    • Thomas Meagher
      • Advisor: Lewis Gordon
      • Dissertation: Maturity in a Human World: A Philosophical Study
      • First Appointment: Visiting Assistant Professor, Quinnipiac University
      • Interim Appointment: Visiting Assistant Professor, Quinnipiac University and 2018-9 W.E.B. Du Bois Visiting Scholar at UMass Amherst
      • Current Appointment: Assistant Professor of Philosophy, Department of Psychology and Philosophy, Sam Houston State University
    • Andrew Tedder

     

    2016-2017

    • Mayank Bora
      • Advisor: William Lycan
      • Dissertation: Believing About Individuals
      • First Appointment: Guest Faculty, University of Delhi
      • Current Appointment: Assistant Professor (Tenure Track equivalent), University of North Bengal
    • Toby Napoletano
      • Website:  https://sites.google.com/site/tobyanapoletano/
      • Advisor: Lionel Shapiro
      • Dissertation: Semantics, Meaning, Truth and Content: Disentangling Linguistic and Philosophical Approaches to the Study of Meaning
      • First Appointment: Adjunct Professor, UConn
      • Current Appointment: Lecturer in the department of Cognitive and Information Science at the University of California, Merced
    • Benjamin Nelson
      • Advisor: Donald Baxter
      • Dissertation: Hume’s “Of scepticism with regard to reason”
      • First Appointment: Adjunct Professor, UConn
      • Current Appointment: Assistant Professor of Philosophy at the Community College of Baltimore County
    • Andrew Parisi
      • Website: https://andrewparisi.weebly.com/
      • Advisor: Marcus Rossberg
      • Dissertation: Second Order Modal Logic
      • First Appointment: Cycorp
      • Current Appointment: Field Operations at Cambridge Semantics
    • Colena Sesanker
      • Advisor: Lewis Gordon
      • Dissertation: Self-Respect and Social Roles: A Critical Study of the Duty to Resist Oppression
      • First Appointment: Philosophy Instructor (tenure-track), Gateway Community College
      • Current Appointment: Philosophy Instructor, Gateway Community College
    • Nathan Sheff
      • Advisor: Michael Lynch
      • Dissertation: Thinking Together: Joint Commitment and Social Epistemology
      • First Appointment: Adjunct Professor, UConn

     

    2015-2016

    • Ralph DiFranco
    • Michael Robillard
      • Advisor: Hallie Liberto and Michael Lynch
      • Dissertation: The Moral Dimensions of Vulnerability and Exploitation
      • First Appointment: Postdoctoral Researcher, Uehiro Center for Practical Ethics, University of Oxford

     

    2014-2015

    • Katherine Fazekas
      • Website: http://www.kathyfazekas.com
      • Advisor: Crawford Elder
      • Dissertation: The Nature of the Passage of Time: A Defense of a Revisionist B-theoretic View of Passage
      • First Appointment: Visiting Assistant Professor, Willamette University
      • Current Appointment: Visiting Assistant Professor, UConn
    • Michael Hughes
      • Advisor: Jc Beall
      • Dissertation: Substantive Theories of Epistemic Justification: An Exploration of Formal Coherence Requirements
      • First Appointment: Software Engineer, TPx Communications
    • Casey Johnson
      • Website: https://caseyrjohnson.blogspot.com/
      • Advisor: Michael Lynch
      • Dissertation: Speech Acts and Silencing: Applying a New Account of Illocutions To Debates over Silencing and Testimony
      • First Appointment: Post-doc on the Humility and Conviction project at UCHI, UConn
      • Current Appointment: Associate Professor, University of Idaho

     

    2013-2014

    • Alexis Elder
      • Website: http://www.alexiselder.net/
      • Advisor: Paul Bloomfield
      • Dissertation: Metaphysics of Friendship
      • First Appointment: Visiting Assistant Professor, Southern Connecticut State University
      • Current Appointment: Associate Professor, University of Minnesota Duluth
    • David Lambie
      • Advisor: Thomas Bontly
      • Dissertation: Toward a Naturalistic Solution to the Moral Problem
      • Current Appointment: Adjunct Professor at SUNY-Oswego
    • Mark Lowe
      • Advisor: Crawford Elder
      • Dissertation: Implications of Species-as-Individuals: Kinds, Essentialism, Induction, De-Extinction
      • First Appointment: Instructor of Humanities (tenure-track), Quinebaug Valley Community College
      • Current Appointment: Professor of Humanities (tenured) at CT State Community College-Quinebaug Valley, Danielson, CT
    • Jeremy Wyatt
      • Website: http://jeremywyatt.net/
      • Advisor: Michael Lynch
      • Dissertation: Pluralism and the Absence of Truth
      • First Appointment: Post-doctoral Researcher, Pluralisms Global Research Network, Veritas Research Center, Yonsei University
      • Current Appointment: Senior Lecturer, University of Waikato, Australia

     

    2012-2013

    • Matthew Clemens
      • Advisor: Jc Beall
      • Dissertation: New Directions for Mathematical Fictionalism
      • First Appointment: Research Associate, Polinsky Language Sciences Lab, Harvard University
      • Current Appointment: Advisor for Prestigious Fellowships and Scholarships and Adjunct Professor of Philosophy, Siena College
    • Douglas Owings
    • Paul Silva
      • Website:  https://paulsilvajr.com/
      • Advisor: Michael Lynch
      • Dissertation: The Epistemology of Intuition and Seemings
      • First Appointment: Lecturer in Philosophy, Monash University
      • Current Appointment: Junior Professor (tenure-track), University of Cologne

     

    2011-2012

    • Asha Bhandary
      • Website: http://clas.uiowa.edu/philosophy/people/asha-bhandary
      • Advisor: Diana Meyers
      • Dissertation: Liberalism and Dependency Care
      • First Appointment: Visiting Assistant Professor, Wesleyan University
      • Current Appointment: Assistant Professor, University of Iowa, Department of Philosophy
    • Nilanjan Bhowmick
      • Advisor: Samuel C. Wheeler III
      • Dissertation: That F is G: Defending Quantification
      • First Appointment: St. Stephens College, University of Delhi
      • Current Appointment: Assistant Professor, Department of Philosophy, Faculty of Arts, University of Delhi
    • Daniel Massey
      • Advisor: Michael Lynch
      • Dissertation: The Argument from Irresolvable Moral Disagreement
      • First Appointment: Visiting Assistant Professor, Arkansas State University
      • Current Appointment: Director of Teaching and Innovation, Spring Hill College (2023), Associate Professor (tenured), Spring Hill College (2019)
    • Bradley Jay Strawser
      • Website: bradleystrawser.com
      • Advisor: Michael Lynch and Steve Wall
      • Dissertation: The Bounds of Defense: Moral Responsibility, Autonomy, and War
      • First Appointment: Assistant Professor, Naval Postgraduate School; Research Associate, Oxford University’s Ethics, Law, and Armed Conflict center
      • Current Appointment: Professor, Naval Postgraduate Institute and  Research Associate at Oxford University’s Institute for Ethics, Law, and Armed Conflict (ELAC)

     

    2010-2011

    • Theodore Bach
      • Website: https://sites.google.com/site/theodorebach/
      • Advisor: Thomas Bontly
      • Dissertation: Folk-Psychology and Analogy
      • First Appointment: Visiting Assistant Professor, Southern Connecticut State University
      • Current Appointment: Associate Professor (tenured), Bowling Green State University Firelands
    • David Capps

     

    2009-2010

    • Colin Caret
      • Website:  https://sites.google.com/view/colincaret
      • Advisor: Jc Beall
      • Dissertation: The Interpretation of Partitioned Frame Semantics
      • First Appointment: Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the Arché Research Centre in St. Andrews
      • Current Appointment: Assistant Professor, Underwood International College, Yonsei University
    • Aaron J. Cotnoir
      • Website: cotnoir.org
      • Advisor: Jc Beall
      • Dissertation: Non-classical mereologies and their applications
      • First Appointment: Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Northern Institute of Philosophy, University of Aberdeen (2010-2012)
      • Current Appointment: Senior Lecturer, University of St Andrews
    • Rik Hine
      • Website:  http://www.washburn.edu/our-faculty/rik-hine
      • Advisor: Austen Clark
      • Dissertation: Paying Attention to Consciousness
      • First Appointment: Postdoctoral Fellow, UConn
      • Current Appointment: Assistant Professor, tenure-track, Washburn University
    • Andrea Jean Purton
    • Qiong Wang
      • Website: https://suny.oneonta.edu/philosophy/faculty-staff
      • Advisor: Joel Kupperman
      • Dissertation: The Family Relationships and Familial Obligations
      • First Appointment: University of Oklahoma, Visiting Assistant Professor
      • Current Appointment: State University of New York, College at Oneonta, Associate Professor
    • Jeffrey Wisdom
      • Website: http://jjc.academia.edu/JeffWisdom
      • Advisor: Paul Bloomfield
      • Dissertation: From Moral Fictionalism to Moral Realism: an Essay in Moral Metaphysics
      • First Appointment: Assistant Professor, Joliet Junior College
      • Current Appointment: Associate Professor of Philosophy, Joliet Junior College

     

    2008-2009

    • Brian Leahy
      • Website: http://brianleahy.net
      • Advisor: John Troyer
      • Dissertation: Fantasy, Fiction, Forecast
      • First Appointment: Post-doctoral Fellow, Department of Linguistics, University of Konstanz
      • Current Appointment: Graduate Student, Department of Psychology, Harvard University
    • Gustavus Alexus McLeod
      • Website: https://sites.google.com/site/alexusmcleod013/home
      • Advisor: Joel Kupperman
      • Dissertation: Moral Personhood in Confucius and Aristotle
      • First Appointment: Assistant Professor, University of Dayton
      • Current Appointment: UConn, Associate Professor, Philosophy and Asian/Asian American Studies
    • Brian Rockwood
    • Franklin Scott
    • Steven Todd
      • Advisor: Austen Clark
      • Dissertation: Unmasking Consciousness: A case study demonstrating the impact of empirical data on theories of consciousness
      • First Appointment: Associate Professor of Philosophy, Lone Star College – Kingwood
      • Current Appointment: Associate Professor of Philosophy (tenured), Henderson State University

     

    2006-2007

    • David Slutsky

     

    2005-2006

    • Patrick Fleming
      • Advisor: Joel Kupperman
      • Dissertation: Reason, Desire and Ends
      • First Appointment: James Madison University, 1-year
      • Current Appointment: James Madison University, Tenured
    • Adam Potthast
      • Advisor: Joel Kupperman
      • Dissertation: Morality, Identity, and Continuity: Reductionism about Personal Identity over Time and Utilitarianism
      • First Appointment: Missouri University of Science and Technology (Missouri S&T), Assistant Professor of Professional Ethics, Fall 2005
      • Current Appointment: Director of Assessment and Faculty Development, Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota, Spring 2018-present

    To view degrees awarded before 2005-06, please go here.