Advising

 MA in Philosophy at TTU

I advise students primarily in aesthetics, but also in philosophy of language, ethics, and ancient Greek philosophy. Previous MA thesis or report advisees include:

1. Joel Schmit, “On Logic and Ordinary Language” (2007).

2. Matthew Watkins, “Moralism in Aesthetics” (2007).

3. Jeffrey Filla, “Judgments of Art Status and Definitions of Art” (2007).

4. Daniel Garro, “A Value-based Environmental Ethics” (2008).

5. Charlie Langston, “Currie and Carroll on the Documentary” (2008).

6. Michael Ducey, “A Realist Defense of Critical Pluralism” (2009).

7. Than Vlachos, “Darwinian Aesthetics and the Paradox of Aversion” (2009).

8. Amanda Hale, “The Antihero: A Special Case for Moralism”(2012). 


9. Alexander Raby, “The Ideal Critic: Foie Gras and Twinkies” (2012). 


10. Adrian Silbernagel, “Genius and the Origins of Art in Kant’s Aesthetics” (2013). 


11. Joseph Zehner, “Interpreting the Pre-Socratic Poet-Philosophers” (2013). 


12. Richmond Culp, “Nehamas and the Postulated Author” (2015).

13. Ashley Beck, “A Definition of Art: Fixing Beardsley’s Aesthetic Experience” (2016).

14. Jack Byers, “Reading Law as Art:  Comparing Legal and Artistic Interpretation” (2017).

15. Katie Hudson, "The Conversion Theory Solution to the Paradox of Tragedy" (2018).

16. Colin Viray, “On the Ontology of Art” (2019).

17. Jason Culmone, “Making the Link: Preliminaries of a Historical-Intentional Definition of Linked Short Story Collections” (2020).

I welcome TTU philosophy MA students wishing to be advised in aesthetics and related areas.

Ph.D. in Fine Arts at TTU & Ph.D. in Philosophy External Advising

I have sat on 36 pre-dissertation, qualifying oral exam committees for the TTU Fine Arts Ph.D. program, several times as the exam question writer. I have been an examiner on the following dissertations, at TTU and abroad:

1. (2008) Antònio Lopes, “O Valor de um Bach Autêntico: Um Estudo sobre o Conceito de Autenticidade na Execução de Obras Musicais” (“The Value of an Authentic Bach: A Study of the Concept of Authenticity in the Execution of Musical Works”). Department of Philosophy, Universidade de Lisboa, Portugal (in Portuguese).

2. (2010) Bradley L. Green, “A Collection of Brazilian Children’s Songs and Games and a Proposed Sequence for Inclusion in an Elementary General Music Curriculum”  (TTU Fine Arts Doctoral Program, School of Music).

3. (2014) Alicia Bermejo Salar, “The Problem of Artistic Interpretation: Intention and Meaning.” Department of Philosophy, University of Murcia, Spain (n Spanish and English).

4. (2020) John Iverson, “Moving Toward a Therapeutic Praxis of Veteran-Based Verbatim Theatre” (TTU Fine Arts Doctoral Program, School of Theatre and Dance).

5. (2021) Laura Lennis Cortez, “A Curriculum for the Adult Piano Learner: Two Case Studies of Piano Students Who Return to Lessons” (TTU Fine Arts Doctoral Program, School of Music).

6. (2021) Jonathon Peck, “The Hero’s Journey in Special-needs Parenting: Two Original Play-scripts” (TTU Fine Arts Doctoral Program, School of Theatre and Dance).

7. (2022) Jacopo Frascaroli, "Literature, Knowledge and Insight: A Philosophical and Psychological Inquiry." Department of Philosophy, University of York, UK. 

8. (2023) Christina (Tiza) Garland, “Intersections: An Investigation of The Michael Chekhov Technique Through The Lens Of Laban Movement Analysis” (TTU Fine Arts Doctoral Program, School of Theatre and Dance).

I welcome Fine Arts doctoral students seeking a committee member for their core exams and/or doctoral dissertations. Students in philosophy PhD programs at other universities seeking an external reader for dissertations in aesthetics are also welcome to contact me to discuss that possibility.