I received my Doctorate in Philosophy from the City University of New York Graduate Center. While in graduate school, I taught a variety of Philosophy courses at Hunter College.
After graduating, I began a lengthy business career in Public Affairs with Mobil Oil Corporation. While there, I held a number of staff and management positions, including Public Affairs manager - U.S. Eastern States and Government Relations Manager - Western States. After leaving Mobil, I was Assistant to the Speaker of California State Assembly, advising him of media implications of policy decisions. I cam to Oregon after being recruited by SAIF Corp., where I worked for two years as their Public Affairs Manager.
I, very happily, returned to reaching Philosophy late 2004. Since then, I have been teaching a variety of courses at PSU. These include PHL 310U Environmental Ethics, PHL 313U Life & Death Issues, PHL 308U Elementary Ethics, and PHL 309U Business Ethics. I especially enjoy teaching PSU students because of their insightfulness, intelligence and their eagerness to disagree with me without being disagreeable.
I see rational argument (and disagreement) as essential to philosophical learning and encourage and value lively debate. Nothing in Philosophy is carved in stone, except maybe the Ten Commandments, and that has never stopped anyone from disagreeing with them. I urge my students to bring to the courses I teach a strong sense of skepticism as well as a capacity for hard work.
My outside interests include my live collection of orchids and bromeliads, international home exchange and compulsively watching cable news.