Those interested in my academic credentials should download my cv, published work, working papers, research statement, teaching statement, teaching dossier, and course evaluations. Those curious about me should try to piece together what they can from the desultory details, media, and links I provide below. Probably, as Borges suggests in the opening of his first published essay, there is no whole self to describe, a phrase I employ as the handle of my social media accounts. 

I grew up a gregarious and gritty only child in an unincorporated township just outside of Gallatin, TN. My parents mostly didn't know what to do with me. I spent much of my time drawing, building things, and skateboarding. 

After a dismal experience in Bible Belt public schools, I enrolled in the highly-ranked Recording Industry program at Middle Tennessee State University. The first few years were a struggle given that I was a first-generation college student with an educationally impoverished background. But I caught up. The upper-division classes were stellar, and Murfreesboro, TN had a thriving music scene that included some names you may know, for example Sharon Van Etten, Self, and The Protomen. I spent much of my free time producing and performing frenetic music, an endeavor I continued throughout my twenties, first with the band Pile of Face, and then Viva Nada.

I graduated in 2003 with a B.S. in Mass Communication, emphasis on production and technology of the music industry, with minors in both journalism, and radio/tv. I skipped my graduation ceremony, and moved to NYC. I was fortunate to get my start as a professional sound engineer by working weekends at a Williamsburg venue called 'Luxx' running both Todd P shows and Larry Tee's Electroclash parties. I eventually became the FOH sound engineer at The Fillmore at Irving Plaza, as well as the Chief Theater Technician at The New Museum, and a sound system designer for countless small venues throughout the city.  Here's a view of Godflesh from FOH:

I worked with a variety of artists and "artists", some famous, some not, some talented, most not (see some more photos here). The work was reasonably lucrative. It bestowed a sort of bohemian prestige. And it afforded me time to pursue my own artistic projects. (For example, aside from music, I dabbled in theater, and wound up working on an Off-Broadway play starring Dan Lauria, best known as the dad on "The Wonder Years"). However, the music industry is intellectually stifling. To compensate, I began reading a great deal of political science and cognitive science, two disciplines that had always interested me. Both led me to philosophy, which in turn led me to a philosophy program at CUNY. With the gracious tutelage of Justin Steinberg, Andrew Arlig, and Christine Vitrano, I ultimately landed into a fully-funded PhD program at Cornell. 

Most of my academic work focuses on the nature and norms of moral responsibility. In my dissertation, I develop a genealogical challenge to the claim that individuals can ever deserve to be blamed or otherwise censured for immoral acts. I then develop an alternative 'intrapersonal' view of desert-based moral responsibility that I argue both survives the challenge, and is in any case far more plausible than its competitors. Here's a word cloud of my main chapters:

I benefitted tremendously in the project by working with my advisor Derk Pereboom, as well as Kate Manne, Michelle Kosch, Nick Sturgeon, and Michael McKenna. Special thanks are also due to the staffs of Gimme Coffee in Ithaca, NY, Variety Coffee in Brooklyn, NY, and Crema in Nashville, TN. 

Even the best research yields only tiny innovations. Teaching changes lives. That's why I've generally enjoyed teaching more than other academic endeavors. I taught a variety of courses throughout my ABD years, including Intro to Philosophy and Bioethics at Ithaca College, First-Year Writing Seminars in Ethics and Applied Ethics at Cornell, and an interdisciplinary course on Inequality surrounding the Ethics and Public Life lecture series at Cornell (link). Additionally, for most of my time at Cornell, I lived in the Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity house as the Resident Academic Adviser, a job that was highly rewarding and entertaining but not even remotely as wild as you'd imagine. 

Just before the New Year of 2017, I moved to Los Angeles. Shortly thereafter, I got a job as a Lecturer at two Cal State schools, and published a work in Ethical Theory and Moral Practice. I defended my dissertation on May 16th, 2017. I skipped the graduation ceremony, of course. Since then I’ve been teaching mostly ethics and intro courses at Cal State, Fullerton.

Success in philosophy is neither a concrete object nor the result of an overtly physical act. But these are far more human markers of achievement. I think this is likely why philosophy can be depressing, even when you’re doing well at it. Partly as a sort of post-graduation therapy, I started woodworking. It turns out I’m not terrible at it. You can find my woodworking designs here. Those in the Los Angeles area can see my work at Ichijiku Sushi and Cafe Birdie. I only take one or two commissions a year now.

In the last several years I’ve become increasingly obsessed with electric vehicle technology. In 2019 I invented a new kind of ebike motorization system that offers a drastically higher power-to-weight ratio than anything on the market, as well as full backwards compatibility with common bicycle parts. I worked with Nick Nieminen of Omega Motors to design a titanium BMX featuring this “High-Drive” system (patent pending). In 2020 I manufactured the first prototype, and tested it thoroughly till producing a more refined version in June of 2021. The production model weighs just 37.5lbs all-in, but rockets up to 35+mph with 3800 watts of power. I called the company “Chimera”. Photos and info available here and here.

Free time is illusive for me these days. But I almost always find the time to lift weights and listen to politics podcasts, often at the same time.