I’m a philosopher who brings ideas out of the seminar room and into public life. A Notre Dame Ph.D. and former Fulbright and DAAD fellow in Germany, I’m a Professor of Philosophy and Chair of the Public Humanities at Warren Wilson College in Asheville, North Carolina.

My scholarship focuses on German Idealism, aesthetics, and political philosophy. It includes peer-reviewed research and a book, The Politics of Perception and the Aesthetics of Social Change (Columbia, 2021), which explores how the ways we perceive the world shape what we believe is politically possible. I also write for general readers, in venues like Aeon and the Guardian. I developed and co-hosted the podcast Poets & Dictators, and served as the subject matter expert for CrashCourse’s Political Theory series. Currently, I’m producing Philosophy in Prison, a podcast project supported by an Awesome Foundation grant.

Public scholarship is at the center of my teaching. I direct a study abroad program in Berlin, teach Inside/Out courses alongside incarcerated students, and design experiential learning that connects students with community organizations, public art, and civic life.

Whether in the classroom, in print, or on air, I make complex ideas clear, build programs from the ground up, and collaborate across very different communities. I’m open to opportunities in education, media, content, and mission-driven work.