About Me
I’m a PhD candidate and Teaching Associate in the Department of Philosophy at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. My research focuses on the philosophy of science and the metaphysics of higher-level sciences, particularly the psychological and social sciences. I focus on questions about scientific autonomy and explanatory pluralism: how should we understand the ontological and epistemological boundaries between disciplines? What makes the social sciences distinct from lower-level sciences like psychology, biology, and physics?
Before coming to UMass, I earned my MA from the University of Chicago and taught as an adjunct instructor at several colleges in the Kansas City area. I hold a BA in anthropology and philosophy from the University of Kansas, achieving several honors, notably Phi Beta Kappa.
I also maintain active interests in political philosophy, Early Modern philosophy, and Buddhist philosophy. Outside of academic work, I have a long-standing passion for music and the visual arts. I’ve played guitar and violin since childhood and spent years recording and performing in the Kansas City DIY music scene. I also enjoy swimming, weightlifting, cooking, reading German literature, and 90s eurodance.