Faculty
BSU College of Arts and Sciences
Boise State University
1910 University Dr.
Boise, ID 83725-1550Ph.: (208) 426-3304
Fax: (208) 426-4332Professor Emeritus Alan Brinton received his Ph.D. in philosophy from the University of Minnesota in 1974. After a year on the faculty at Illinois State University, he joined the Boise State University faculty in 1975 and continued as a member of the department until his retirement from Boise State as Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs in 2000. From July 2000 through December 2002, Alan served as Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of the Faculty at Albertson College. One of his projects as Associate Vice President at Boise State was the development of the BSU Honors College, with which he now maintains an affiliation as an adjunct instructor. He was selected by the Honors College Student Association as Honors College Distinguished Faculty Member for 2006. Alan and his wife Linda enjoy travel; they spend two months each winter in Mexico and have taken several trips in recent years to Southeast Asia. He has a personal web site with photos of travel and of McCall area mountain lakes at http://Lucy421.smugmug.com. Email: abrinton<at>boisestate.edu
Joni Carlo was born and raised in San Francisco, California.
She has a bachelor’s degree in philosophy and a master’s degree in the theory and philosophy of communication studies, with a particular emphasis placed on the theory and philosophy of language. Other philosophical interests and preferences include: existential philosophy, specifically the works of Friedrich Nietzsche and Soren Kierkegaard. Joni has submitted her work on language studies at national conferences. She teaches out of two academic disciplines: philosophy and communication. Out of the philosophy department Joni teaches Introduction to Philosophy and has aspirations to soon be teaching Logic. Out of the Communication Department she teaches Reasoned Discourse, Fundamentals of Speech Communication and a weekend workshop on language. Joni has also taught fundamental philosophical principles as these pertain to “real-life” through Community Education. She has been teaching at Boise State University for four years. Email: jcarlo<at>boisestate.edu
Beth Miller Collier has been Philosophy's secretary since 1988. She is a graduate of Boise State University and continues her schooling here. Beth is active in Zonta International; Overseas Brats; Humane Society and World War II studies. While growing up, Beth lived in Morocco, Italy, Turkey, and Germany. She has two children, Christie and Marc, who are not philosophers--unfortunately. Email: bcollier<at>boisestate.edu Andrew Cortens received his M.A. in Philosophy from the University of Manitoba (1989) and his Ph. D. in Philosophy from Syracuse University (1995). Before beginning his appointment at BSU in August 1996, he was a Lecturer in Philosophy at Western Washington University in Bellingham, WA. Prior to that, he enjoyed a one-year tenure as a Research Fellow at the Center for Philosophy of Religion at the University of Notre Dame. He is the author of Global Anti-Realism: A Metaphilosophical Inquiry, (Westview Press, 2000) and has authored and coauthored articles on metaphysics, epistemology and philosophy religion that have appeared in such journals as Philosophical Studies, Dialectica, and Faith and Philosophy. He teaches course in all three of these areas, as well as courses in Introductory and Symbolic Logic. He lives in Boise with his wife, Caroline, and their four children, Cameron, Maegan, Teresa, and Isabel. His hobbies include drinking Guinness and playing the piano with the Frim Fram Four, a jazz combo that performs regularly in the Boise area.
Professor Cortens is an Associate Professor of Philosophy at Boise State University. Email: acorten<at>boisestate.edu
Steve Crowley joins Boise State from Indiana University, where he was an associate instructor in the Department of Philosophy. He received his doctorate in philosophy as well as two master's degrees -- in philosophy and history of philosophy of science -- from Indiana. He received his bachelor's in philosophy and logic from the University of Adelaide in Australia. His areas of interest are in history of philosophy of science, epistemology, and philosophy of biology. In 1998 he was named the winner of the Best Associate Instructor Award in Indiana's Philosophy Department. He is a member of the American Philosophical Association and the History of Science Society.
Steve is an Assistant Professor of Philosophy at Boise State University. Email: stephencrowley<at>boisestate.edu
Ken Dickey received his Ph.D. in Philosophy from the University of California at Riverside in 1993. His research interests are wide-ranging, but focus mainly in Philosophy of Language, Philosophy of Mind, and Ethics. He has presented three papers at the American Philosophical Association's annual meetings, one from each of these areas. Ken has taught philosophy at several different institutions, including UC Riverside, Cal State San Bernardino, Occidental College, and Treasure Valley Community College. Ken teaches part-time for the BSU Philosophy Department. Ken's undergraduate degree was in Chemistry from Loma Linda University (1985). He has taught chemistry, physics, and philosophy courses full-time at Nyssa High School since 1993. Ken is married and has two young daughters who always seem to want to know -- why? Email: kdickey<at>nyssa.k12.or.us Emma L. Easteppe received her M.A. degree in Philosophy from St Louis University in 1986 and an Honors B.A. in Philosophy and History from St Louis University in 1982. She has previously taught intermediate and introductory courses on Human Nature and Values at St Louis University. Since 1998, Ms. Easteppe has taught Introduction to Philosophy and Logic courses at Boise State University. Areas of interest include Metaphysics, Human Nature, Ancient Philosophy and Process Philosophy.
Ms. Easteppe has worked for over ten years as an independent editor and researcher. A seasoned grant-writer, Ms. Easteppe has researched and edited numerous articles and publications in international political affairs, economic development, social health policy and trends in higher education. Email: eeastepp<at>boisestate.eduWarren Harbison is Emeritus Professor of Philosophy. He received his Ph.D. from Syracuse University in 1977 and has been at BSU since that date. His teaching responsibilities cover a wide range of subjects, from introductory classes in philosophy and logic to courses in modern philosophy, phenomenology/existentialism, and oriental philosophy. He has published in the areas of Kant-studies, medieval philosophy (a translation), and oriental philosophy, and has given papers at international, national and regional levels. Email: wharbis<at>boisestate.edu In 2006, Peter Hodges came to Boise to marry his Jr. High school sweetheart, Donna Vasquez, and began teaching Comparative Religion, Death and Dying, and Introduction to Philosophy courses for the department the following Spring (2007). Peter currently (Fall 2007) teaches an Environmental Ethics course and workshop through Extended Studies on “Rumi and Sufism.” Peter and Donna worked together to organize the “Rumi: Bridge to the Soul” celebration of the 13th century Islamic mystic Jalal’ad-din Muhammad Rumi at the BSU Morrison Center for the Performing Arts, sponsored by the Philosophy Department, and featuring Professor Emeritus, poet and translator, Coleman Barks. Peter received his B.A. in Philosophy and in Liberal Studies from California State University in San Bernardino (1990) and his M.A. in Philosophy from the University of California in Riverside (1994). Before coming to Boise State, Peter was a “freeway flier” for 13 years teaching as adjunct faculty simultaneously at multiple campuses including California State University, San Bernardino, University of Redlands, Crafton Hills College, Riverside Community College, Mt. San Jacinto Community College, and College of the Desert.
Peter’s interest in environmental ethics has led him into non-western philosophies like Buddhism, Indigenism, Mysticism, and Taoism which are significant components of all his courses.
Christopher Innes was awarded his B.A. in Philosophy at Hull University in England, after which he was awarded his M.A. in Social and Political philosophy at Kent at Canterbury University in England. He is now in the process of completing his PhD Manuscript at Goldsmiths College - University of London in Social and Political Philosophy using a Witgensteinian approach to the family resemblances between Marx and Liberalism. Professor Innes has previously taught politics at Canterbury College, England.
Professor Innes specializes in social philosophy, with emphasis on Analytical Marxism. He welcomes students with special interests in social or political philosophy to approach him if they wish to carry out research in this area.
Professor Innes arrived at Boise State University in the Fall of 1999. He is responsible for teaching a number of classes: Introduction to Philosophy, Philosophy in Adult Fiction, Introduction to Logic, Philosophy in Children’s Fiction, Contemporary Political Ideologies, Political Theory in Adult Fiction, Marxism and Liberalism, Political theory in Children’s Fiction, Islamic Ideology and Philosophy, Social Philosophy, Philosophy of Jean-Luc Godard, Politics, Philosophy, Pixar and Dreamworld, Karl Marx: His Thought, Marxism and Liberalism and Political thought of the American West.
The temperate climate and civil social environment of Boise suit Professor Innes and his two sons David and Malcolm who like to raft down the Boise River in the Summer and sled down the mountains in the Winter. Here professor Innes is often engaged in answering some of the ultimate philosophical questions posed by his two sons – “Why?” “What For?” and “Who Cares?”
Email: cinnes<at>boisestate.eduGeorge C. Knight holds a B.A. from the University of Montana, and an M.A. from Texas Tech University. Following completion of the latter degree, he studied at Washington University in St. Louis. Mr. Knight joined Boise State University's Philosophy Department in 1998, having previously taught at Eastern Oregon University. Email: gknight<at>boisestate.edu Barbara Pearson received her M.A. in philosophy from the University of Nebraska at Lincoln in 1988 and her B.A. from Boise State University in 1984. She has taught at B.S.U. since 1989. On the B.S.U. campus, she teaches Introduction to Philosophy and Introduction to Logic. In addition, she teaches courses for the Continuing Education program. Her main philosophical interests lie in the fields of ethics and ancient philosophy. Email: bpearson<at>boisestate.edu Clark Peddicord graduated from the University of Idaho in Biological Science ("Sorry! but I also have a degree from BSU."); later, study of theology and philosophy in Chicago and Germany; M.Div. from Trinity Seminary; Dr. phil. was earned at the "Center for Philosophy and the Conceptual Foundations of Science" of the Justus Liebig University (Giessen, Germany) with a doctoral thesis on "Die Wunderkritik Immanuel Kants" ("Immanuel Kant's Critique of Miracles"). (If you are interested you can find a brief English abstract and the entire German text here.) Main philosophical interests: Kant and German idealism; philosophy of science; philosophy of religion; mediaeval philosophy.
Important datum: 28 years living and working in Germany; most recently from 1993-2003 teaching at an ecumenical center connected with the Lutheran church of Germany. Currently involved in developing and funding a similar community in Berlin. Email: cp<at>peddicord.comTony Roark took his Ph. D. in Philosophy at the University of Washington in 1999. Before joining BSU, he spent one year at The Ohio State University as a Visiting Assistant Professor of Philosophy. He has published articles in the areas of ancient philosophy, medieval philosophy, and philosophy of law. He is currently an Associate Professor of Philosophy and Department Chair. In February 2005, Tony was appointed by Boise Mayor David Bieter to a four-year seat on the City of Boise Ethics Commission. Tony, his wife Gayle, and their two young children Keenan and Ellie share a home with a little black dog named 'Candide'.
Visit Professor Roark's Home Page. Email: troark<at>boisestate.edu
Andrew B. Schoedinger was awarded the M.A. and Ph.D. [1974] degrees in Philosophy from Brown University--before which he graduated from Hobart College. His interests lie mainly in Metaphysics, Ethics, and Medieval Philosophy. Books published by him includeWhere Have All Our Values Gone?: The Decline Of Values In American And What We Can Do About It [Xlibris, 2004]; Our Philosophical Heritage [an introductory textbook published by Kendall/Hunt, fourth edition, 2002]; Readings in Medieval Philosophy [Oxford University Press, 1996]; The Problem of Universals [an anthology published by Humanities Press International, 1992]; Introduction to Metaphysics: The Fundamental Questions [an anthology published by Prometheus Books, 1991] and Wants, Decisions and Human Action: A Praxeological Investigation [a manuscript on action theory published by University Press of America, 1978].Presently Professor Schoedinger is writing a manuscript the subject of which is normative ethical theory.
Email: aschoed<at>boisestate.edu
Jim Stockton received his M.A. in Philosophy from the University of Nevada Reno, and an M.A. in English from Boise State University. At BSU, Professor Stockton teaches Introduction to Philosophy, Logic, Aesthetics, and Oriental Philosophy. He has also taught Ethics, Philosophy of Religion, Philosophy of Law, and a special topics course on Nietzsche. Last summer (2005), Professor Stockton participated in the Third International Conference on New Directions in Humanities, hosted by the University of Cambridge in (UK); where he delivered his most recent publication “The Ethics of Political Correctness.” His academic passions are given to the history of ideas, philosophy of religion, aesthetics, and political ideology. He lives in Boise with his wife Kathy, their dog Daisy and the two cats, Kalvin and Pearl. Favorite past-times include theatre, travel, and stamp collecting. Email: jstockto<at>boisestate.edu
