Department of Philosophy

I graduated from Lyon College with a BA in Psychology and minors in French and Religion and Philosophy. I have previously worked in private security and with the Federal Probation and Pretrial Services Office in the Eastern District of Arkansas. My main interest is in philosophy of mind, language, and science. Outside of philosophy I enjoy fencing, reading science fiction, and Formula 1.

Yu earned a bachelor’s degree in Philosophy (2025) from East China Normal University. He works primarily in moral and political philosophy, with further interests in the philosophy of mind and epistemology. Currently, he focuses on questions related to deontology, political liberalism, and emotion. Yu’s philosophical commitments also motivate him to advocate for justice and equality, particularly for women and the LGBTQ+ community. Beyond philosophy, he enjoys traveling, photography, and exploring a wide range of musical genres—especially R&B,  J-Rock, and gospel.

Jacob Gelman is a recent Brown University graduate, where he earned degrees in both Political Science and Philosophy. He received honors in Philosophy for his senior thesis, “Words That Wound, Laws That Maim,” which examined laws against hate speech through a normative lens. His primary areas of interest lie in political and social philosophy, where he has a keen interest in questions that arise from his lived experience as a queer and Jewish individual. Due to this, he is most interested in advancing the theoretical foundations of queer theory and contributing to the development of a field of critical Jewish studies (though these aims are certainly subject to change). His forthcoming publication, “Judeopessimism: Toward a Novel Understanding of Antisemitism,” will appear in the Journal of Contemporary Antisemitism. 

Zheng Guo graduated from The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen with a BEng in Computer Science and a minor in Philosophy. He also spent a year as a visiting student at the University of California, Berkeley. He is primarily interested in philosophy of language, epistemology, and philosophy of mind. Outside of philosophy, he enjoys playing the piano and guitar, and can often be found lost in classical music or on the hunt for good Japanese food.

I graduated with BAs in Philosophy and Economics from the University of Chicago, worked in Economic Consulting for a couple of years, and then found my way back to Philosophy.

Currently, I’m interested in meta-ethics, moral psychology, and epistemology, especially questions of self-creation and self-knowledge.

Outside of Philosophy, I play the piano, enjoy literature, struggle with New York Times crosswords, and am on a perpetual hunt for cafés serving intensely dark-roasted coffee!

Ciara graduated from Northeastern University in 2023 with degrees in both Philosophy and Music, with an emphasis in Spanish language and culture. Since graduating, she has worked in outdoor education—leading backpacking, rock climbing, and canoeing trips across the US.

She completed two senior capstones, the first entitled “Color and Goodness: Rethinking G.E. Moore’s Ethical Comparisons” and the second, which inspired her to pursue further schooling and was published in UNC Chapel Hill’s Aperto Animo, “Blameworthiness, Labor Exploitation, and Consumer Responsibility.” Her main philosophical interests involve ethics and value theory, social and political philosophy, and individual causal efficacy. She has auxiliary interests in epistemology, philosophy of religion, and existentialism. In her free time she loves writing, rock and ice climbing, and making pottery.

Katie Priest graduated from Cal Poly Pomona with a BA in philosophy and BS in communication with honors. Her philosophical interests include social and political philosophy, especially questions of identity, philosophy of race and philosophy of law. Outside of philosophy she has keen interest in journalism and frequents coffee shops and museums.

I graduated from St. Mary’s College of Maryland in 2022 with a BS in Computer Science and minors in History and Educational Studies. After graduating, I worked as an admission counselor and took philosophy classes in my free time. I am currently interested in philosophy of science and social philosophy. Outside of philosophy, I enjoy hiking, playing board games (especially Ticket to Ride!), and running.