Department of Philosophy

Corey Beckford holds a bachelor's degree in philosophy from Lake Forest College. His current areas of interest include hermeneutics; the phenomenology of stand-up comedy; continental philosophy, particularly Kant and Heidegger; philosophy of aesthetics; and ancient Greek philosophy, particularly Parmenides and Aristotle. During his spare time, Corey enjoys watching old kung fu movies, drinking tea and playing "Dragon Ball FighterZ."

With a background in Talmudic law and Judaic studies, Yaakov Bleier developed a passion for philosophy generally. He strives for spiritual insight, moral clarity and the discovery of first principles. Key influences include Plato, Maharal, Schopenhauer, Emerson and Bergson.

Joshua is a graduate of Rollins College, with a BA in humanities. His research interests center on the methodologies and limits of philosophy, spanning the areas of metametaphysics, epistemology, and the philosophy of race and gender. Aside from philosophy, Joshua's interests include creative writing, skiing, and weightlifting.

Kevin Doherty graduated from UMass Lowell in 2014 with a bachelor's degree in psychology. He then worked for several years as a mental-health counselor and in various psychological research labs. His philosophical interests include phenomenological cognitive theories of subjectivity, moral psychology and free will. He also works in Brandeis's Division of Institutional Advancement. He enjoys playing guitar and watching Netflix, and dreams of one day getting a dog.

Yimao Liu graduated from Rutgers-New Brunswick with a bachelor's degree in philosophy and a minor in political science. Her primary research interests are in ethics, political philosophy and philosophy of law. She is particularly interested in moral obligation and social groups. When she is not doing philosophy, she enjoys reading fiction, watching "Xiangsheng" (a Chinese comedic performing art) and cooking without following a recipe.

Thomas Mattessich holds a bachelor's degree in philosophy and computer science from The College of William & Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia. He worked for several years in the tech industry, until his passion for theory and ideas drew him back to academia. His philosophical interests include the philosophies of mind and cognitive science, metaethics, and German Idealism (though he has never taken a philosophy course that he didn't enjoy.) He likes watching films, cooking, and skiing in the winter.

Luke Gopnik-Parker graduated from Sarah Lawrence College with a concentration in philosophy and music. His areas of interest include phenomenology, ethics and aesthetics. He is drawn to philosophers whose work lies at the intersection of the analytic and continental traditions.

Jacob Schultz received a bachelor's degree in philosophy from the University of Illinois-Chicago, along with high distinction from the philosophy department. His primary philosophical interests are in metaphysics and the philosophy of language and epistemology as they related to metaphysics. In particular, Jacob is interested in the metaphysics of objects. In his spare time, he enjoys learning new things, trying out interesting restaurants and watching good movies.

J.D. Wagner holds a bachelor's in philosophy from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. His primary interests are in epistemology and the philosophy of science, specifically evidence-based issues. In his spare time, J.D. enjoys (Olympic) weightlifting, trying to cook, listening to experimental music and, as of recently, sailing.