Teaching & Mentoring
Teaching
I teach mostly ethics, applied ethics (especially bioethics), and social epistemology. I am currently teaching a graduate seminar, "Bad People and Bad Character," and an undergraduate upper-division course, "Argumentation and Writing." This summer, I am teaching a class for ASU's new MA in World War II Studies, "Mental Health and World War II." My other undergraduate course is an upper-division course in bioethics.
I think of myself as more of a philosophy coach than a philosophy professor. A coach watches as the players perform, giving advice on how to enhance that performance. Each class I try to make sure my students are *practicing* philosophy. At the moment, my favorite assignment is pairing students in two, handing them 5 discussion questions (created by me) and sending them go off to a quiet place for a 45 minute, one-on-one, discussion. Each student then turns in a separate/individual summary of the discussion. My essay assignments are rarely expositions, i.e., I don't ask students to explain the work of others, but rather, I ask that students make their own arguments that support their own views. My classes often include conference like presentations of these positive thesis papers.
To be clear, I have nothing against lectures, or traditional teaching methods. I believe they hold an important place in undergraduate as well as graduate education. However, I share my style in case someone might read it, and think, "that might work for me."
Other methods that have proved helpful in my classes: spending a lot of time setting the stage and getting students socially comfortable, keeping the same work groups of 3-5 students the whole semester, lots of assignment options, many pass/fail assignments (but with lots of feedback), tightly limiting "traditionally" letter graded work, and unlimited essay rewrites. Feel free to email me at mpriest2@asu.edu with questions.
Supervising
I am currently directing two philosophy MA thesis projects, one at the intersection of philosophy of mind, ethics, and cognitive science, and another on the social construction of Chinese identities. I am also serving on a PhD committee for a dissertation focused on epistemology of disagreement in public discourse. My undergraduate supervisory work includes directing a Barrett Honors Thesis on the ethics of organ sales, and also serving on a committee for another Honors Thesis on The environmental impact of excess food packaging. (Barrett, the Honors College, is a special division of ASU named "Best honors college" in the nation, with it's own especially competitive admissions process. The school is designed with academic rigor in order to prepare students for the most competitive graduate schools, as well as a wide-range of intellectually focused careers, while keeping costs relatively low, and considering applicants from a wide-range of backgrounds that might be overlooked at other elite schools.)
Mentoring
During the 2018-19 academic year I served as a mentor for Katie Stockdale in The Job Candidate Mentoring Program for Women in Philosophy Holly Kantain was my mentor from 2015-2016. I encourage women philosophers to apply, both as mentees and mentors!
Other Mentoring: The academic life is amazingly rewarding and has fantastic upsides. However, it can also be intensely difficult (especially graduate school, being on the academic market, pre-tenure, and for members of minority populations, or anybody facing unusual life circumstances). If you need advice, to vent, or anything along these lines, feel free to email me at mpriest2@asu.edu I might be able to help you myself, or I might be able to get you in touch with another individual or organization that can be of help. I refuse to judge you or your circumstance. I have special education/experience/ connections with issues related to mental health, disability, and LGBTQ, but you can contact me with any concern, wherever you're coming from. If I don't respond, it was a mistake, so please try again.