I am currently a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Civitas Institute and a Lecturer in the Philosophy Department at the University of Texas at Austin. I received my PhD at Notre Dame, writing a dissertation on some issues in Aristotle’s ethics and moral psychology under the direction of Sean Kelsey. I am from Fredericksburg Texas, a small town settled by Germans in the heart of the Texas hill country.
I work primarily in ancient Greek philosophy. I have interests in a wide variety of topics within the subfield, but my current work concentrates on the question of happiness in the ethical philosophy of Aristotle. My dissertation explores how Aristotle’s ethical treatises are supposed to equip Aristotle’s students to live happy lives.
In my teaching, I seek to bring students to consider the deep and lasting questions of human life through a careful study of the philosophical tradition.