Faculty
DR. JAMI ANDERSON, PROFESSOR
Jami L. Anderson received her Ph.D. from the University of Southern California School of Philosophy in 1995, after successfully defending her dissertation, "Annulling Crimes: A Hegelian Theory of Retribution." Her advisors were Sharon Lloyd and John Dreher. Prior to graduate school, Dr. Anderson was an undergraduate in the Honors Program at Arizona State University and studied abroad from August 1986 to June 1987 at the University of Tübingen, West Germany. She received her B.A. in Philosophy with Honors in 1989 and her thesis, "Philosophical Anarchism Reconsidered," was supervised by Jeffrie G. Murphy and Richard Dagger.
Her publication and teaching interests are in philosophy of law and social theory, in particular gender theory, race theory and disability studies. Of particular note, a recent publication, The Philosophy of Autism, is now available from Rowman & Littlefield.
She is currently working on two articles. One will critically assess arguments surrounding neurodiversity debates, specifically concerning the question of whether or not autism ought to be cured or if, as some argue, such "cures" are, at best, misguided or, worse, immoral. The other will critically assess the claim that children's rights to open futures obligates parents to take part in actions that are eugencidal, such as embryonic selection choices.
She has been the co-director of the Center for Cognition and Neuroethics since August, 2011.
DR. SIMON CUSHING, ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR, DEPARTMENT CHAIR
Dr. Cushing is the current Chair of the Department of Philosophy. After receiving a B.A. and M.A. in Politics, Philosophy and Economics at Oxford University, Dr. Cushing earned a Ph.D. from the University of Southern California, where his dissertation was "Citizenship, Political Obligation, and the "Right-Based” Social Contract Tradition.” He specializes in Social Philosophy (including Race and Gender studies), Political Philosophy (especially Nationalism and Social Contract theories), and Moral Philosophy and Applied Ethics. In addition to co-editing an anthology on The Philosophy of Autism with Dr. Anderson, he is currently writing an article titled "Plantinga’s Freedom is Indefensible.” Dr. Cushing’s most recent publications include "Evil, Freedom and the Heaven Dilemma" in Challenging Evil: Time, Society and Changing Concepts of the Meaning of Evil, and "Don’t Fear the Reaper: An Epicurean Answer to Puzzles About Death and Injustice” in Layers of Dying and Death.
DR. ADEREMI ARTIS, ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR
Aderemi Artis received his B.A. with Honors in Philosophy from Davidson College, after which he completed an M.A. and Ph.D. in Philosophy from Princeton University. His dissertation was entitled “Francis Bacon and the Scientific Reformation,” in which he explored the relationships between scientific methodology and reformed theology in the works of Francis Bacon. He specializes in Early Modern European History of Ideas and Analytic Metaphysics.
DR. BENEDICTE VEILLET, ASSISTANT PROFESSOR
Bénédicte Veillet’s primary research interests are questions about phenomenal consciousness, its nature, and our ways of thinking about it. She is currently exploring the role epistemic feelings—for example feelings of surprise, of significance, of certainty, of understanding—might (surreptitiously) play in arguments about the nature of phenomenal consciousness. She has secondary interests in philosophy of mind more generally, including the nature of concepts, representationalism, and nonconceptual content.
DR. STEVENS WANDMACHER, LECTURER IV
After earning a B.G.S. from the University of Michigan and a MA in philosophy from Wayne State University, he earned his Ph.D. in philosophy at Michigan State University in 2003, where his dissertation was "The Social Contract Tradition: Patriarchy, Artifice, and Reason." His primary interests include reason and its role in political and ethical theories, feminist critiques of traditional ethics, and mental representation. He teaches a range of courses from the introductory level through upper division, including the Philosophy Capstone course. In addition, he is the Faculty Coordinator of the Student Veteran Resource Center.
DR. ANTHONY GIVHAN, LECTURER II
Tony Givhan received a B.S. in political science and a M.A. in philosophy at Western Michigan University, and a M.R.E. in religious education from Grand Rapids Theological Seminary. Tony completed his Ph.D. at Michigan State University in the philosophy of science, writing a dissertation on the role of values in scientific theory choice, focusing on the debate over the biological status of race. His other interests include the philosophy of religion, especially the relationship between science, religion and philosophy, and he teaches courses in critical thinking, the philosophy of religion and ethics.
RONALD WARREN, LECTURER II
Mr. Warren received a B.A. in Philosophy from the University of Michigan-Flint and a M.A. in Philosophy from Howard University. He is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Philosophy at Michigan State University, where he is specializing in topics of Race, Racism, and Recognition Theory. His dissertation title is "Recognition Theory: Grasping Persisting Racism."
Emeritus Faculty
DR. CHARLES E. M. DUNLOP,
DAVID M. FRENCH PROFESSOR EMERITUS
AND PROFESSOR EMERITUS OF PHILOSOPHY
WEBSITE
DR. RICHARD GULL,
PROFESSOR EMERITUS
DR. L. NATHAN OAKLANDER,
DAVID M. FRENCH PROFESSOR EMERITUS
AND PROFESSOR EMERITUS OF PHILOSOPHY
WEBSITE
DR. PAUL K. PETERSON,
ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR
EMERITUS
Faculty in Memoriam
DR. KENDALL B. COX,
ASSISTANT PROFESSOR
EMERITUS
After graduating from Oberlin with a degree in Philosophy, Kendall completed graduate work at University of Michigan, where he earned his Doctoral degree in 1963 and took his first professorial position at North Dakota State University. In 1966, he left North Dakota for "the riverfront campus of the University of Michigan in Flint," where he taught in the Philosophy department until he retired in 1989. He taught Logic, Ethics, Philosophy of Art and other courses. (Text from Mlive, November 17, 2015)
Staff
MARTHA HANLEY, Administrative Assistant Intermediate
Phone: (810) 762-3380
E-mail: hanleyml@umflint.edu