Teaching
Undergraduate Courses (University of Minnesota)
HSem 2055V - Biology and Society: How Evolution Shapes Our Lives [Honors Seminar]: Fall 2018 (with Mike Travisano)
PHIL 1005/1005H - Scientific Reasoning: Fall 2020; Fall 2018; Fall 2013; Fall 2012; Fall 2011; Fall 2009; Fall 2008; Fall 2007; Spring 2007
PHIL 1905 - Fossils and Philosophy: Historical Knowledge [Freshman Seminar]: Spring 2008
PHIL 3602 - Science, Technology, and Society: Darwin and Design: Spring 2014; Spring 2013; Fall 2009; Fall 2008; Fall 2007
PHIL 3605 - Disease, Diagnosis, and Intervention: Conceptual Issues in Medicine: Spring 2024; Spring 2022; Spring 2020 (with Steve Stovitz); Spring 2019
PHIL 3607 - Philosophy of Psychology: Spring 2021
PHIL 4607/5607 - Philosophy of the Biological Sciences: Spring 2020; Fall 2017; Fall 2015; Fall 2013; Fall 2012; Fall 2010 (with James Griesemer, Ken Waters, and Bill Wimsatt); Spring 2007
Graduate and Faculty Courses and Seminars (University of Minnesota)
PHIL 5601 - History of Philosophy of Science: 19th Century Philosophy of Science: Spring 2013; Spring 2008
PHIL 8602 - Scientific Representation and Explanation: Idealization: Fall 2020
PHIL 8602 - Scientific Representation and Explanation: Mechanisms: Spring 2018
PHIL 8620 - Philosophy of the Biological Sciences: Fall 2014 (with Bill Wimsatt); Fall 2011 (with Bill Wimsatt)
PHIL 8670 - Philosophy of Science: Reductionism in Biology: Fall 2006
Institute for Advanced Study, University Symposium on Body and Knowing Faculty Seminar, “Corporeal Epistemologies: Knowing and Body Across the Disciplines,” with David Valentine (Anthropology): Spring 2010
Graduate Student Advising and Committee Membership (University of Minnesota)
Spring 2023 – Dissertation committee member (advisor) for Yoshinari Yoshida: Generalizations in Practice: Investigating Generality and Specificity in Developmental Biology
Spring 2022 – Dissertation committee member (reader) for Derek Oswick (Philosophy, University of Western Ontario)
Summer 2021 – Dissertation committee member (reader) for Kele Cable (HSTM)
Summer 2021 – Dissertation committee member (advisor) for Max Dresow: Time, Life and Environment: Practices of Geohistory at the Intersection of the Earth and Life Sciences
Spring 2021 – Dissertation committee member (reader) for Cameron Lazaroff-Puck (HSTM)
Spring 2021 – Dissertation committee member (reader) for Tatiana Lenskaia (Computer Science & Engineering)
Fall 2020 – Dissertation committee member (reader) for Devon Gouvêa (Committee on Conceptual and Historical Foundations of Science, University of Chicago)
Fall 2018 – Dissertation committee member (co-advisor) for Katherine Liu (EEB): Reconceptualizing Cancer: The Development of New Models and Frameworks
Fall 2017 – Dissertation committee member (reader) for Katelin Krieg (English)
Fall 2017 – Dissertation committee member (reader) for Ryan Knigge (Anthropology)
Fall 2016 – Dissertation committee member (reader) for Patrick Laine
Fall 2016 – Dissertation committee member (reader) for Maria Rebolleda-Gomez (EEB)
Summer 2016 – Dissertation committee member (advisor) for Jack Powers: Descriptive Practices and Values in Endocrine Disruption Research
Summer 2016 – Dissertation committee member (reader) for William Bausman
Summer 2015 – Dissertation committee member (reader) for Shay Logan
Fall 2014 – Dissertation committee member (reader) for Mark Herr
Spring 2014 – Dissertation committee member (co-advisor) for Tom Doyle: Philosophy and the Professional Image of Philosophy
Spring 2013 – Dissertation committee member (reader) for Joe Martin (HSTM)
Summer 2012 – Dissertation committee member (reader) for Anastasia Panagopoulos
Fall 2011 – Dissertation committee member (reader) for Nathan Crowe (HSTM)
Summer 2010 – Dissertation committee member (reader) for Deepanwita Dasgupta
Summer 2008 – Dissertation committee member (reader) for Barton Moffatt
Fall 2006 – Dissertation committee member (reader) for Toben LaFrancois
Teaching Development Activities
Center for Teaching and Learning Workshop (“Active Lectures”), August 2009
Early Career Teaching Program, 2011–2012
Center for Writing Workshop, Teaching with Writing Series (Senior Seminars, Senior Papers, Senior Projects: Structuring Capstone-Level Writing Experiences), Panel Participant, 2012
Guest Lectures
February 2022
“Understanding Biological Reasoning: A Philosophical Perspective”, delivered at the University of Minnesota for the undergraduate course “Introduction to Biology, Society, and Environment” [BSE 2001] (also delivered in September 2021, February 2021, September 2020, January 2020, September 2019, April 2019, September 2018, January 2018, September 2017, January 2017, September 2016, March 2016, September 2015, January 2015, February 2014, September 2013, February 2013, September 2011, & April 2011). Primary Instructor: R. Squires/K. Klink, PhD, Geography, Environment and Society (CLA)
February 2022
Book Discussion of Michael Ruse’s On Purpose (2018) [3 evening sessions], Anselm House, St. Paul, MN.
January 2022
“Is there a necessary conflict between science and faith? With reflections on “evidence” and “purpose””, Project Diversity’s Spiritual & Religious Diversity Committee, Hennepin County Library, Minneapolis, Minnesota. [online]
March/April/May 2021
“Conversations about Science and Society: Interrogating the Rules of Science”, book symposium organizer and discussion host, College of Liberal Arts, University of Minnesota. [online]
January 2020
“Modeling Complex Systems: Reductionism, Emergence, and other Key Concepts”, delivered at the University of Minnesota for the graduate seminar “Complex Systems in Kinesiology” [KIN 8122]. Primary Instructor: George Biltz, MD, Kinesiology (CEHD)
March 2017
“Not Science, but Sciences, and Why it Matters”, delivered at Sip of Science, National Center for Earth-Surface Dynamics and St. Anthony Falls Laboratories, Minneapolis, MN.
October 2016
“Not Science, but Sciences, and Why it Matters”, delivered at the University of Minnesota for the undergraduate honors seminar “Ways of Knowing and Science” [AGRI 1902H]
Primary Instructor: Craig Hassel, PhD, Food Science and Nutrition (CFANS)
September 2016
“Philosophy of Science (in Practice)”, delivered at the University of Minnesota for the graduate seminar “Orientation to Scientific Thought” [HORT 8280]
Primary Instructor: Ruth Shaw, PhD, Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior (CBS)
September 2016
“Understanding Biological Reasoning: A Philosophical Perspective”, delivered at the University of Minnesota for the undergraduate/graduate course “Research Proposals: From Ideas to Strategic Plans” [ANSC 3091V/5091] (also delivered in February 2016 and October 2015)
Primary Instructor: Milena Saqui-Salces, PhD, Animal Science (CFANS)
April 2016
“Not Science, but Sciences, and Why it Matters”, delivered to the Campus Atheists, Skeptics, and Humanists (also delivered to Truth in Science and Engineering in March 2016)
September 2015
“Understanding Biological Reasoning: A Philosophical Perspective”, delivered at the University of Minnesota for the undergraduate course “Biology Colloquium” (also delivered in April 2015)
Instructor: Dahsol Lee, Student Leader, College of Biological Sciences (CBS)
April 2014
“Emerging Perspectives on Evolution”, delivered at Bethel University Seminary for the graduate course “Theology and Science”
Primary Instructor: Kenneth Reynhout, PhD, Theology
April 2013
"Why Centipedes are Odd and Philosophy is Relevant to Biology", delivered for the College of Biological Sciences "Common Time" sequence for freshman majors
May 2011
“Darwin’s Functional Reasoning”, delivered at the Minneapolis College of Art and Design for the undergraduate course “Reading and Writing 2”
Primary Instructor: Neal Jahren, PhD, Biochemistry, Molecular Biology and Biophysics
March 2011
“Interdisciplinary Lessons for the Teaching of Biology from the Practice of Evo-devo”, delivered at the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) Education Center, University of Minnesota
February 2011
“Panel discussant (with Lynn Nyhart and Ronald Numbers) for the movie Creation: The True Story of Charles Darwin, “Darwin Day 2011”, University of Wisconsin – Madison
February 2010
“Famous Thinkers Change Their Mind (With Subtlety): The Case of Charles Darwin and Asa Gray”, delivered at the “Darwin Day” event for the Campus Atheists and Secular Humanists (CASH)
“Understanding Biological Reasoning: Concepts, Explanations, & Interdisciplinarity”, delivered to the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute for the series ‘Afternoon with the Liberal Arts’
March 2008
“Interdisciplinarity in Philosophical Perspective”, delivered at the University of Minnesota for the NSF Integrative Graduate Education and Research Traineeship (IGERT) graduate seminar
Primary Instructor: Claudia Neuhauser, PhD, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
April 2007
“Temporality in explanations of ontogeny : making the continuous discrete ”, delivered at the University of Minnesota for the graduate seminar “Matters of Time ”
Primary Instructors: David Fox, PhD, Geology and Geophysics; Sally Kohlstedt, PhD, History of Science and Technology; Ann Waltner, PhD, History
September 2006
“Science and theology in history ”, delivered at the University of Minnesota for the undergraduate course “Origins”
Primary Instructor: Christopher Macosko, PhD, Chemical Engineering and Materials Science
February 2004
“Homology: how can we trace evolutionary history with structure?”, delivered at Indiana University for the undergraduate course “Evolution”
Primary Instructor: Rudolf Raff, PhD, Biology
March 2002, 2001, 2000
“Darwinism and Christianity”, delivered at Carnegie Mellon University for the undergraduate course “Christianity and Science”
Primary Instructor: Gary Patterson, PhD, Physical Chemistry
March 2002
“Charles Lyell, Geology, and Darwin”, delivered at the University of Pittsburgh for the undergraduate course “Darwinism and its Critics”
Primary Instructor: James G. Lennox, PhD, History and Philosophy of Science
Undergraduate/Graduate Student Exams and Senior Project Supervision (University of Minnesota)
Fall 2023 – Written Preliminary Examination Reviewer for David Munkvold (EEB)
Fall 2023 – 1 Undergraduate Directed Study supervised
Spring 2023 – Graduate Directed Study with Dimitri Smirnoff (STEM Curriculum and Instruction)
Fall 2023 – 1 Senior Project supervised
Spring 2023 – Graduate Directed Study with Jenny Tilsen (STEM Curriculum and Instruction)
Spring 2023 – 2 Honors Undergraduate Thesis committees (reader)
Fall 2022 – Thesis proposal committee member for Lauren Wilson
Fall 2022 – PhD candidacy exam committee member for Jennifer Tilsen (Curriculum & Instruction)
Spring 2022 – 1 Honors Undergraduate Thesis supervised
Fall 2021 – PhD candidacy exam committee member for Sarah Volz (Psychology)
Fall 2021 – Three-paper exam committee member for Lauren Wilson
Spring 2021 – Graduate Directed Study on Philosophy of Psychology with Mahathi Patchava (Cognitive Science)
Spring 2021 – 1 Honors Undergraduate Directed Study supervised
Spring 2021 – 1 Senior Project supervised
Fall 2020 – 1 Senior Project supervised
Spring 2020 – 14 Senior Projects supervised
Spring 2020 – Undergraduate Honors exam committee member for Jack Quigley
Spring 2020 – 2 Dean’s First-Year Research & Creative Scholar Award students supervised
Spring 2020 – 1 Honors Undergraduate Directed Study supervised
Spring 2020 – Thesis proposal committee member for Femke Kuiling
Spring 2020 – Three-paper exam committee member for Nathan Lackey
Fall 2019 – Thesis proposal committee member for Yoshinari Yoshida
Fall 2019 – 1 Dean’s First-Year Research & Creative Scholar Award student supervised
Fall 2019 – Graduate Directed Study on Philosophy of Biology with Leno Smith (EEB)
Fall 2019 – Three-paper exam committee member for Nathan Lackey
Spring 2019 – 7 Senior Projects supervised
Spring 2019 – Thesis proposal committee member for Annie Melton (Anthropology)
Spring 2019 – Graduate Directed Study on Philosophy of Biology with Thomas Radomski (EEB)
Spring 2019 – 1 Dean’s First-Year Research & Creative Scholar Award student supervised
Fall 2018 – Master’s exam committee member for Allen Goebl (Psychology)
Fall 2018 – 1 Senior Project supervised
Fall 2018 – Three-paper exam committee member for Yoshinari Yoshida
Summer 2018 – Viva voce PhD examination for Thibault Racovski (University of Exeter, UK)
Spring 2018 – Thesis proposal committee member for Max Dresow
Fall 2017 – Thesis proposal committee member for Justin Ivory
Fall 2017 – Three-paper exam committee member for Max Dresow
Spring 2017 – 2 Senior Projects supervised
Spring 2017 – Three-paper exam committee member for Femke Kuiling
Spring 2017 – Graduate Directed Study on Plato’s Republic with John Heydinger (HSTM)
Fall 2016 – PhD candidacy exam committee member for Allen Goebl (Psychology)
Fall 2016 – Preliminary examination committee for John Heydinger (HSTM)
Fall 2016 – Three-paper exam committee member for Justin Ivory and Femke Kuiling
Spring 2016 – 2 Senior Projects supervised
Spring 2016 – Thesis proposal committee member for Kele Cable (HSTM)
Spring 2016 – PhD candidacy exam committee member for Noah Gettle (Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior)
Fall 2015 – 2 Senior Projects supervised; 1 Undergraduate Directed Study supervised
Fall 2015 – Thesis proposal committee member for Cameron Lazaroff-Puck (HSTM)
Fall 2015 – Preliminary examination committee for Cameron Lazaroff-Puck (HSTM) and Kele Cable (HSTM)
Summer 2015 – Viva voce PhD examination for James Lowe (University of Exeter, UK)
Spring 2015 – PhD candidacy exam committee member for Katherine Liu (Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior)
Spring 2015 – 3 Senior Projects supervised; 1 Undergraduate Directed Study supervised
Fall 2014 – 1 Senior Project supervised; 3 Undergraduate Directed Studies supervised
Summer 2014 – 1 Undergraduate Directed Study supervised
Summer 2014 – M.A. exam committee member for Stephanie Hake
Summer 2014 – Departmental Research Partnership Program supervisor for Tom Doyle
Spring 2014 – PhD candidacy exam committee member for Katelin Krieg (English)
Spring 2014 – Undergraduate Honors exam committee member for Brendan Caldwell
Spring 2014 – Thesis proposal committee member for Jack Powers
Spring 2014 – Thesis proposal committee member for Ryan Knigge (Anthropology)
Spring 2014 – 2 Senior Projects supervised
Spring 2014 – PhD candidacy exam committee member (external) for Bradley Wood (Louisiana State University)
Fall 2013 - Thesis proposal committee member for Molly Paxton
Fall 2013 - Doctoral preliminary oral exam committee member for Maria Rebolleda-Gomez
Fall 2013 – 1 Senior Project Supervised; 1 Undergraduate Directed Study supervised
Fall 2013 – Three-paper exam committee member for Jack Powers
Summer 2013 – Graduate Research Partnership Program Supervisor for Molly Paxton
Spring 2013 – 2 Senior Projects Supervised; 1 Undergraduate Directed Study supervised
Spring 2013 – Three-paper exam committee member for Molly Paxton
Spring 2013 – M.A. thesis proposal committee member for David VanAcker
Fall 2012 – 1 Senior Project Supervised; 3 Undergraduate Directed Studies supervised
Fall 2012 – Three-paper exam committee member for Molly Paxton
Summer 2012 – Departmental Research Partnership Program Supervisor for Jack Powers
Spring 2012 – Thesis proposal committee member for Patrick Laine
Spring 2012 – Three-paper exam committee member for Leia Rollag
Spring 2012 – 2 Undergraduate Research Opportunity Projects (UROPs) supervised
Fall 2011 – M.A. exam committee member for Joe Martin (HSTM)
Fall 2011 – Thesis proposal committee member for Will Bausman
Fall 2011 – 2 Undergraduate Directed Studies supervised
Fall 2011 – Three-paper exam committee member for Leia Rollag
Spring 2011 – 2 Senior Projects Supervised (both Honors Theses)
Spring 2011 – M.A. exam committee member for Patrick Norton
Fall 2010 – 2 Senior Projects supervised
Fall 2010 – Three-paper exam committee member for Will Bausman and Patrick Norton
Summer 2010 – Departmental Research Partnership Program Supervisor for Leia Rollag
Spring 2010 – Thesis proposal committee member (co-advisor) for Tom Doyle and Joe Martin (HSTM)
Fall 2009 – Preliminary examination committee for Joe Martin (HSTM)
Fall 2009 – 1 Undergraduate Directed Study supervised
Fall 2009 – Thesis proposal committee member for Maran Wolston and Mark Herr
Fall 2009 – Three-paper exam committee member for Marisol Brito
Summer 2009 – Preliminary examination committee for Nathan Crowe (HSTM)
Fall 2008 – Thesis proposal committee member for Anastasia Panagopoulos
Fall 2008 – 1 Senior Project supervised
Fall 2008 – Three-paper exam committee member for Marisol Brito
Summer 2008 – Graduate Research Partnership Program Supervisor for Tom Doyle
Spring 2008 – 3 Senior Projects supervised
Fall 2007 – 1 Undergraduate Directed Study supervised
Fall 2007 – Directed study with Nathan Crowe on “Darwin and Design”
Spring 2007 – 5 Senior Projects Supervised
Fall 2006/Spring 2007 – Three-paper exam committee member for Jessica Slind
Winter 2006 – Directed study with Robert Harada on “Theories of Scientific Progress” [UCSC]
Fall 2005/Winter 2006 – Qualifying exam committee member for Zachary Fruhling [UCSC]
Past Course Offerings (2005–2006 at UC Santa Cruz)
PHIL 9 - Introduction to Logic (Spring 2006); syllabus (pdf)
PHIL 127 - Philosophy of Biology (Spring 2006); syllabus (pdf)
PHIL 80S - Nature of Science: Introduction to Philosophy of Science (Winter 2006); syllabus (pdf)
PHIL 190S - Philosophy of Science: Darwin and Design (Fall 2005); syllabus (pdf)
Summary of Teaching Experience as a Graduate Student
Spring 2004 – Associate Instructor for the undergraduate course “Evolution” (Primary Instructor: Rudolf Raff)
Fall 2003 – Associate Instructor for the undergraduate course “Evolution and Diversity” (Primary Instructor: Michael Wade)
Spring 2003 – Inquiry Curriculum Enhancement Team, HHMI grant, Dept. of Biology, Indiana University: designed, implemented, and assessed the effectiveness of novel teaching modules in the discussion section curriculum of the introductory lecture course “Evolution and Diversity”
Fall 2002 – Inquiry Curriculum Enhancement Team (as above)
Summer 2002 – Independent Instructor for undergraduate course “Darwinism and its Critics”
Summer 2001 – Independent Instructor for undergraduate course “Darwinism and its Critics”
Spring 2000 – Independent Instructor for undergraduate course “Myth and Science”
Summer 1999 – Independent Instructor for undergraduate course “Problem Solving”
Spring 1999 – Teaching Assistant for undergraduate course “Einstein for Everyone” (Primary Instructor: John Norton)
Fall 1998 – Teaching Assistant for undergraduate course “Thinking about the Environment” (Primary Instructor: Bruce Glymour)