Curriculum Vitae
Education
Ph.D. – Philosophy (Minor: Neuroscience), University of Wisconsin – Madison, Dec 2018
M.A. – Philosophy, University of Wisconsin – Madison, Dec 2011
M.A. – Philosophy, University of Missouri – St. Louis, Aug 2008
B.A. – Philosophy, Bethel University (St. Paul, MN), May 2006
Work Experience
Position: Research Consultant
Job description: After my postdoctoral position, I have been working on projects in image recognition and natural language processing, using various tools and libraries, such as TensorFlow, PyTorch, and Scikit-learn. I am currently working on a project that is designed to increase the accuracy, precision, and recall of deep learning models by more effectively structuring the order in which the training and validation data are presented to the models. I am also working on project pertaining to ‘black box’ issues surrounding the interpretation of deep learning models. For instance, a given deep learning model might outperform human experts in predicting certain image classes, but it might not be apparent which data features the model is using to make its predictions. Thus, I am working with tools that help alter and remove various subsets of pixels in order to better infer which features are most relevant for a given model’s predictions.
Position: Postdoctoral Researcher at the University of Wisconsin–Madison (January 2018 - October 2020)
Job description: The first part of my postdoctoral position consisted of working with developers to write algorithms for computer-based science tests. The algorithms were used to track diagnostic information that one cannot get merely from a student’s score (e.g., two students might both receive an 85% but for very different reasons). Our project developed software to better track the reasons for a given score. Once the software was developed and piloted in several school districts, my work then focused primarily on quality control and data analysis.
Position: Teaching and Research Assistant at the University of Wisconsin–Madison (September 2008 - December 2017)
Job description: I served as a Teaching Assistant for ten undergraduate classes in philosophy at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, for which I graded assignments, led four discussion sections per week, met with students in office hours, and lectured. I also served as a Research Assistant in the Department of Psychiatry, for which I authored journal articles, collected data, and designed experiments.
Research Interests
Logic, artificial intelligence, machine learning, knowledge representation, explanation, causation, language evolution, aims and methods of educational assessment, comparative anatomy of prefrontal cortex
Skills
Python, TensorFlow, PyTorch, NumPy, Pandas, Scikit-learn, Matplotlib, MATLAB, Convolutional Neural Networks, Recurrent Neural Networks, Autoencoders
Publications
Myers, B. (2019). "A paradox involving representational states and activities," Thought, 8, 96-100.
Myers-Schulz, B., Pujara, M., Wolf, R., & Koenigs, M. (2013). "Inherent emotional quality of human speech sounds," Cognition and Emotion, 27, 1105-1113.
Myers-Schulz, B., & Schwitzgebel, E. (2013). "Knowing that P without believing that P," Noûs, 47, 371-384.
Myers-Schulz, B., & Koenigs, M. (2012). “Functional anatomy of ventromedial prefrontal cortex: Implications for mood and anxiety disorders,” Molecular Psychiatry, 17, 132-141.
Presentations
“Judgments of belief and knowledge: Interactive yet independent,” The Eastern APA group session for the Experimental Philosophy Society, New York, December 2009. Commentator: Mark Phelan.
Commentator on Brendan Ritchie’s paper “Dualism, function, and the limits of conceivability” at the 2009 Southern Society for Philosophy and Psychology conference.
Commentator on Blake Roeber’s paper “Does the theist have an epistemic advantage over the atheist?” at the 2007 University of Missouri, St. Louis philosophy conference.
Professional Services
Journal referee:
Philosophical Psychology, 2015
Ratio, 2016
Synthese, 2017
Journal of the American Philosophical Association, 2017
Cognitive Science, 2017
Analysis, 2018
European Journal of Philosophy, 2018
Pacific Philosophical Quarterly, 2018
Synthese, 2018
Analysis, 2019
Synthese, 2019
Philosophical Psychology, 2019
Press referee:
Blackwell, 2014
Conference referee:
Southern Society for Philosophy and Psychology, 2009
Conference referee:
University of Missouri, St. Louis philosophy conference, 2008
Research Experience
University of Wisconsin – Madison:
Wisconsin Center for Education Postdoctoral Researcher
- The Institute for Innovative Assessment (January 2018 – October 2020)
Wisconsin Center for Education Research Project Assistant
- The Institute for Innovative Assessment (September 2013 – August 2015)
- The Institute for Innovative Assessment (January 2016 – December 2017)
Department of Psychiatry Research Assistant
- Koenigs Lab (December 2009 – December 2012)
Teaching Experience
University of Wisconsin – Madison:
Department of Philosophy Teaching Assistant
- Elementary Formal Logic (Antonio Rauti, Fall 2008)
- Reason in Communication (Malcolm Forster, Spring 2009)
- Elementary Formal Logic (Peter Vranas, Fall 2009)
- Elementary Formal Logic (Michael Titelbaum, Spring 2010)
- Elementary Formal Logic (Justin Horn, Fall 2010)
- Elementary Formal Logic (Justin Horn, Spring 2011)
- Elementary Formal Logic (Peter Vranas, Fall 2011)
- Elementary Formal Logic (Peter Vranas, Spring 2012)
- Elementary Formal Logic (Peter Vranas, Fall 2015)
- Elementary Formal Logic (Peter Vranas, Fall 2017)
Bethel University:
Department of Philosophy Teaching Assistant
- Classical and Medieval Philosophy (David Williams, Spring 2006)
Department of Theology Teaching Assistant
- Advanced Greek Translation (Michael Holmes, Fall 2005)
Graduate Courses
University of North Texas
CSCE 5210 Fundamentals of Artificial Intelligence (Paul Tarau)
CSCE 5214 Software Development for Artificial Intelligence (Mark Albert)
CSCE 5218 Deep Learning (Eduardo Blanco)
CSCE 5310 Empirical Analysis (Denise Philpot)
CSCE 5222 Feature Engineering (Xiaohui Yuan)
University of Wisconsin – Madison
PHILOS 920 Philosophy of Science – The Whewell-Mill Debate (Malcolm Forster)
PHILOS 920 Philosophy of Biology – Altruism and Units of Selection (Elliott Sober)
PHILOS 941 Ethics – Moral Responsibility (Carolina Sartorio)
PHILOS 951 Philosophy of Mind – Embodied Cognition (Lawrence Shapiro)
PHILOS 951 Philosophy of Mind – Mental Causation (Lawrence Shapiro)
PHILOS 999 Independent Work (Peter Vranas)
PHILOS 990 Research and Thesis (Peter Vranas)
NEUROSCI 611 Systems Neuroscience (Tom Yin)
NEUROSCI 630 Neural Mechanisms for Sensation & Memory (Peter Lipton)
NEUROSCI 699 Directed Research in Neuroscience (Michael Koenigs)
University of Missouri – St. Louis
PHIL 5545 Metaphysics of Causation (Robert Northcott)
PHIL 5478 Philosophy of Mind – Consciousness (Gualtiero Piccinini)
PHIL 5580 Philosophy of Science – Mechanisms and Functions (Gualtiero Piccinini)
PHIL 5540 Epistemology – Descartes to Quine (Waldemar Rohloff)
PHIL 5560 Advanced Formal Logic – Set Theory (Waldemar Rohloff)
PHIL 5570 Philosophy of Language – Semantics of Proper Names (Gualtiero Piccinini)
PHIL 5560 Advanced Formal Logic – Computability and Logic (Waldemar Rohloff)
PHIL 5580 Darwinism and Philosophy of Biology (Robert Northcott)
PHIL 5410 History of Philosophy: Frege, Russell and Wittgenstein (Waldemar Rohloff)
PHIL 5551 Special Readings: Experimental Philosophy and Ethics (Eric Wiland)