Western Michigan Lyceum.
I am the Faculty Mentor and organizer for the WMU Lyceum, a week-long philosophy themed summer camp for high school students in the Kalamazoo area. The camp has two aims: (i) to improve students’ critical thinking and writing skills in a fun, engaging manner and (ii) to expose students to the study of philosophy in a college setting. To achieve these aims, the Lyceum uses a theme-based curriculum: daily class sessions combine critical thinking exercises and discussions that are focused on a specific topic within the camp’s larger theme (e.g., Philosophy and Technology, Philosophy and the Environment).
Recent news:
The Lyceum was awarded a grant from the American Philosophical Society's Berry Fund for Public Philosophy
We have also started up a Philosophy Club at Loy Norrix High School with the help of Joey Zahrn (Loy Norrix)
Guide for Philosophy Summer Camps.
Adam Waggoner (WMU, Philosophy '19) and I developed a how to guide for those interested in starting up a summer camp like the WMU Lyceum.
Popular Audience Essays.
Public discussion: Kollegium Talks, “Is there an upside to unpleasant feelings?” View on YouTube.
"Disgust Can Be Morally Valuable," Scientific American
"A Way to Make COVID-19 College Furloughs More Fair," The Conversation
"Your COVID-19 Anxiety Could be a Good Thing," The Washington Post
"Worried Well," Aeon Magazine
"Life's Anxieties: Good or Bad?" The History of Emotions Blog
Media, Interviews.
The National (on eco-anxiety)
Dialexicon (Public Philosophy interview on emotions and their value for youth run by Saurish Srivastava)
HuffPost (on the value of anxiety)
Reader's Digest (on the value of anxiety)
Big Think (on the value of anxiety)
Leadership Roles.
I currently serve on the Advisory Committee for Western Michigan University's Center for the Study of Ethics & Society, an organization that creates opportunities for people in the WMU and Kalamazoo communities to engage in public reflection about ethical issues. I was also a member of the Executive Board of the Center for the Humanities as Washington University in St. Louis from 2016-2018.