BELL, Landon

BOTELLO, Jordan PHIL 263 (2-3277)

Before coming to Texas Tech I was a visiting student in the Department of Philosophy & Humanities at the University of Texas at Arlington and I taught High School in the Dallas-Ft. Worth Metroplex. My current philosophical interests are in Metaphysics, Social and Political Philosophy, and in Philosophy of Religion. Outside of philosophy, I am married to the woman of my dreams (Lauren Casey); an avid reader of history, sociology, and theology; a musician; a fan of the Dallas Cowboys and the San Antonio Spurs; and am an advocate of social justice for marginalized populations such as racial minorities, those with special needs, and women.

Website: jordanbrycebotello.wordpress.com

BROOKS, Patrick PHIL 256 (2-3277)

I'm from NE Ohio, right in the heart of the rust belt. I completed my undergraduate degree in philosophy at Arizona State University in 2017. My primary areas of interest are the philosophy of logic, philosophy of science, philosophy of mind, and philosophy of language. I don't have a favorite philosopher, but I do have a preference for analytic philosophy from the 20th century to present. Apart from philosophy, I'm a singer-songwriter and guitarist.

CHAPA, Jaime PHIL 263 (2-3277)

I grew up on the Gulf Coast and attended Texas A&M University-Kingsville where I graduated with a B.A. in Psychology. My philosophical interests lie at the intersection of the philosophy of language, science, mind, and bioethics. For instance, lately I've been wrestling with issues concerning psychological taxonomies and the ramifications that arise from them concerning diagnosing abnormal mental disorders. Outside of philosophy I preoccupy my self with two activities. Being a long distance father to my son back home and lifting things. Also, I think I'm a transhumanist.

CROUCH, Zachary PHIL 263 (2-3277)

Zachary is a first year graduate student from Oklahoma City, OK. He received his B.A. in Humanities with a Spanish Minor at the University of Central Oklahoma. While nearly every element of philosophy interests him, he has a particular love for Ethics, Aesthetics, and the Philosophy of Language (especially as concerns metaphor). American Pragmatists such as John Dewey and Santayana comprise an additional area of interest. Eventually, Zach hopes to pursue PhD level education with the hope of working as a professor of philosophy. Aside from academic philosophy, Zach enjoys games ranging from tennis to chess, and he enjoys reading authors such as Dostoyevsky, Dante, and Cervantes.

CULMONE, Jason PHIL 263 (2-3277)

I'm originally from Wallingford, Connecticut, studied (for my B.A. in philosophy) at Quinnipiac University. I graduated in 2017. After that, I was an English Tutor with AmeriCorps for one year. What are my interests in philosophy, you ask? Fair question. Philosophy of literature and language get me out of bed in the morning. Existentialism keeps me up. I'm mostly interested in how fiction--novels/novellas, short stories, etc.--offers a way to do approachable yet still effectual philosophy. I also like to fill up brain space mulling over neologisms, portmanteaus (not the suitcases), and the sorts of influences prose has on a person when it shimmers and pops and crackles and is really very good (read anything by Vladimir Nabokov and you'll see what I'm talking about). Outside of all this, I like coffee and reading and pretending I have interests outside of all this.

CUMMINGS, Chad PHIL 262 (2-3276)

I'm from Portland, Oregon, where I received my bachelors degree in philosophy at University of Oregon. While I remain uncommitted in my research interests, I'm generally interested in Continental philosophy, German phenomenology, Latin and Native American philosophy, Public philosophy (esp. homelessness), as well as Epistemic Normativity. Outside of academia, I self-identify as a snowboard bum and dearly enjoy invigorating conversations while consuming good food/coffee/beer with friends.

EVANS, Emily

Prior to attending Texas Tech, I completed my BA at Cal State Bakersfield. I had lived in Bakersfield my entire life. I have no firm commitments regarding which areas in philosophy I plan to be most dedicated to, but my interests include metaphysics, epistemology, logic, ethics, and Modern philosophy. When I need a break from philosophy, I like to go outdoors, see new places, and play with my dogs.

FAZELI, Mona PHIL 263 (2-3277)

I'm from Iran. Prior to attending Texas Tech, I completed an MA degree in philosophy of art and aesthetics, which was motivated by my interest to understand our aesthetic appreciations and communications. This interest, as of yet, has grown to embrace problems in philosophy of language and philosophy of mind, especially those lying at the intersection of them. Besides philosophy, I enjoy hiking, decoding artworks (when possible), and watching tribal fusion dance. After I complete this program at TTU, I plan to pursue a PhD in philosophy, and dream of one day being a philosophy professor.

GOGGANS, Karson PHIL 262 (2-3276)

I am from Dallas, Texas, and received my B.A. in philosophy and sociology from Texas Tech University. My primary interest include Logic, Linguistics, and Ethics. I am also a peer educator for the Risk Intervention Safety Education program here at Texas Tech, and am an activist for sexual assault prevention, drug and alcohol rehabilitation. Aside from philosophy, I enjoy playing the violin, Irish Dancing, and painting.

GORDON, Ethan PHIL 262 (2-3276)

My name is Ethan Gordon and I am from Greensboro NC. I received my bachelors in economics and my masters in applied economics from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. I am interested in Jurisprudence and Political Philosophy.

HAMILTON, Lawson PHIL 263 (2-3277)

I'm a second-year graduate student from East Texas. I graduated summa cum laude from Texas A&M University with a B.S. in political science and a minor in philosophy. My interests are mainly in political and ancient philosophy.

MASCARI, Jordan PHIL 263 (2-3277)

I am originally from north Texas. In the spring of 2018 I completed my B.A. in philosophy at Texas A&M University. My areas of interest include philosophy of religion, metaphysics, and ethics. More specifically, I am interested in questions concerning the problem of divine hiddenness and Kantian ethics. Outside of philosophy, I enjoy movies and am a competitive Magic: The Gathering player.

MAYO-FINCHER, Lindsay

In some sort of Odyssean return to TTU, after a little more than ten years away, I return with a whetted interest in Aesthetics, Ancient Philosophy, and consciousness. In my years tossing on the waves of this extended metaphor, I accumulated a few degrees: I hold a BA from TTU in English, an MA from ULL, and a PhD in English Literature from UNL. I live in New Mexico, and enjoy teaching at New Mexico Military Institute, where I have the opportunity each day to teach the wonders of literature and thrills of language.

MOHAYEJI, Hossein PHIL 262 (2-3276)

I am from Tehran, Iran. I received my ASc in Mechanical Engineering from the AmirKabir University of Technology and my BA in philosophy from the University of Tehran. I am interested in almost all topics in moral philosophy, but above all in moral responsibility, moral luck, nature and function of praise and blame, free will, and Kantian ethical theories. I am also interested in political philosophy, philosophy of art, and epistemology. Bertrand Russell, Karl Popper, Isaiah Berlin, Bernard Williams, and Thomas Nagel are among my favorite modern philosophers. Also, I am deeply skeptical of continental philosophy.

Outside of philosophy, I am a cinephile (I love classic Hollywood and classic Japanese cinema), I enjoy listening to Persian traditional music and classical music, reading Bordwellian/formalist film studies, following politics and reading political history of 20th century.

REZAEI, Ali PHIL 263 (2-3277)

Serralde, Kate (743-1695)

I oversee the 3D printing and curriculum for The Methodology Lab at the TTUHSC. I received my Bachelor of Arts from Texas Tech University in Art History with a minor in Philosophy, while also focusing on sculpture, film, and ballet. As an artist, I am interested in how institutional structures shape our perception of social norms.

SIMONCIC, Mark PHIL 262 (2-3276)

SOLES, Donald PHIL 263 (2-3277)

Before coming to Texas Tech, Donald resided in Virginia Beach, Virginia. He holds both a Bachelor's degree in Criminal Justice from Regent University, and a Juris Doctor from Regent School of Law. Philosophically, Donald is interested in the intersection of epistemology and propositions of law. Outside of philosophy, Donald enjoys studying the Mosaic polity. Donald was homeschooled, and enjoys playing guitar outside of academia. His favorite bands include Rush, Death, Rosetta, and Animals as Leaders.

STEINBERG, Joshua PHIL 262 (2-3276)

Joshua received his B.A. in Philosophy from Kutztown University of Pennsylvania. He taught English in Berlin, Germany with the Fulbright Program before beginning as philosophy graduate student. His areas of interest include ancient philosophy, ethics, and aesthetics. In his free time he enjoys tabletop gaming, lightsaber fighting, and meeting new dogs.

VIRAY, Colin PHIL 262 (2-3276)

Before coming to Tech, I earned a B.A. in Philosophy with minors in Business Studies and Global Studies at Bentley University in Waltham, Massachusetts. I am interested in ontology.

Website: https://sites.google.com/site/colinviray/home

WANG, Chen

Before I stick to Texas Tech, I took my B.A. in Property Management from Beijing Forestry University, China. Then with a dream of to be a psychotherapist, I participated the Counselor Education program in Texas Tech at 2016. During this period, however, I found that psychotherapy cannot be the panacea for problems of humanity. And I realized that I can never really understand this world without the help of philosophy. This could be the most reason for me to choose philosophy as my career. My primary interest includes Ethics and Ancient philosophy. Outside of academia, I enjoy reading literatures. Stefan Zweig is the writer I like the most. Although he is not as outstanding as several writers such as Gabriel García Márquez at first sight, if you pay a little more patience on him, you will feel the incredible beauty of his words and find the invaluable treasure of humanity underneath his writing. My favorite quote of him is that "She was still too young to know that life never gives anything for nothing, and that a price is always exacted for what fate bestows." 

XUE, Siyun PHIL 262 (2-3276)

I earned a B.A. and a M.A. in philosophy at SYSU in China. Though I have not yet decided which areas in philosophy I shall commit myself to, I do have a strong interest in Wittgenstein's philosophy (and sympathize with his attitude to philosophy as a whole). When I am fed up with philosophy, music is my panacea. Unfortunately, I am only a good listener, without any gift for playing instruments or singing. I maintain a small blog (cosmosaic.org) to post some of my favourite music works. You may want to take a look! I also enjoy reading Dostoyevsky, Tolstoy and Jane Austen.

YU, Bo PHIL 262 (2-3276)

I grew up in China and received my Bachelor degree from Wuhan University in Economics and Philosophy. Then, I got my Master degree from University of Wisconsin in Economics. My interests are on ethics and political philosophy. In my spare time, I like skiing, backpacking, and photography.