My love of philosophy developed during my time at St. John’s College (Annapolis, MD), where I learned the value of reading books closely and collaboratively with others. St. John’s showed me how a genuine community of learning can emerge from a shared commitment to open and respectful discussion about difficult texts and ideas. This ideal guides my teaching and scholarship.

My time at St. John’s sparked a broad interest in the history of European philosophy. This led me to pursue a graduate degree in Philosophy, first at Loyola University Chicago and then at DePaul University. During grad school my studies ranged from Ancient, Medieval, early Modern, 18th-19th century German, and 20th century Continental philosophy. The focus of my coursework was Ancient Greek Philosophy (especially Aristotle and Plato) and Continental philosophy (especially phenomenology).

More recently, I’ve developed an interest in the philosophy of South Asia. I’m particularly interested in the Upaniṣads, the Vedānta author Śaṅkara, and the Madhyamaka Buddhist author Nāgārjuna. These interests led me to develop a course at Sewanee on the history of Indian philosophy from the Vedic period to the present. Recently a former student interviewed me about this class for the Sewanee Purple.

During my free time, I enjoy hiking, riding my bike, and playing complicated board games.