About Me

I am a visiting assistant professor at Kansas State University. Previously, I was a postdoctoral researcher at Tel Aviv University in association with David Mark Kovacs' metaphysical explanation project. In August 2019 I received a Ph.D. in Philosophy from the University of Notre Dame, and before that I completed a B.A. in Philosophy at the University of Virginia. 

I work primarily in metaphysics, philosophy of science, and logic. Currently my research focuses on defending nominalism. I hold the extreme position that there are no abstract objects. I am particularly interested in showing that science does not need them. This includes showing that science can do without mathematical objects, but it also includes showing that science does not require properties and other kinds of abstracta. One can be an extreme nominalist and still take science seriously. 

I have many additional research interests as well. Recently I have been examining the standing of "shape" in contemporary physics, deflationary perspectives on metaphysical possibility, and the nature of consciousness.

When it comes to teaching, while I have a wide range of teaching interests, I am especially interested in teaching courses on the ethics of AI and Buddhist philosophy. I organized a panel (recording here) on data ethics for Kansas State's "AI and the Future" Symposium and regard navigating the ethical quandaries posed by AI as one of the critical tasks of our time. Meanwhile, Theravāda Buddhist philosophy has long been a source of inspiration for me, which is why I want to share the insights of Buddhist philosophers.

Other than philosophy, my main interests include strategy games and film.