Hello! I am an Assistant Professor of Philosophy at Fordham University. Prior to coming to Fordham, I briefly taught at Middlebury College. I completed my PhD at the University of Virginia.

I work in general philosophy of science. My current work focuses on the epistemology and methodological foundations of scientific modeling, particularly on characterizing the epistemic and pragmatic roles of analogy and metaphor. I write about metaphysics and epistemology more broadly as well, including the metaphysics of science (e.g., counterfactuals, modality, and the laws of nature) and its methodology. 

I have diverse teaching interests beyond my research areas. I especially enjoy teaching classical Chinese philosophy and developing new ways to teach logic. I also serve on the Executive Board of the brand-new Asian-American Studies program at Fordham.

If you'd like to contact me, please write to ptan8@fordham.edu.