Hello! I am a philosophy PhD student at Syracuse University.

My research concerns species of value and evaluative domains.  My dissertation and related papers concern the nature of epistemic value and epistemic normativity and how both relate to issues in social and moral philosophy. One of my principal claims is that the nature of epistemic value bears resemblance to prudential value in that our possessing epistemic goods can make us better off in a distinctly epistemic way. I introduce the concept of epistemic sacrifice – enduring a distinctly epistemic cost for non-epistemic, moral reasons. I also argue for an epistemic pluralism which holds that there are two species of fundamental epistemic value: truth/accuracy, and a rich, sophisticated coherence I call vividity.

I also investigate the natures of well-being and prudential normativity and how they relate to psychological concepts like resonance and alienation. I am interested in the ways in which prudential norms and reasons and other kinds of norms and reasons can conflict.

I grew up outside of Rochester, NY. Before beginning my academic career, I was a public high school chemistry teacher in Detroit, MI for two years. I have also worked in Burlington, VT as a substance-abuse counselor for men supervised by the Vermont Department of Corrections.

You can see my APA Member Interview from 2022 here.