Ph.D.’s (2000–present)
Our Ph.D.’s, reaching back to 2000, are listed below. We indicate current employment, where possible. However, inevitably, some employment information is unknown or not up to date. An (*) by “Present Position” indicates that the information has not been recently confirmed.
We try to keep this information accurate. If you see errors, please contact us at philcounselor@humnet.ucla.edu
2025 Ph.D.’s
Devon Page, Ph.D. 2025
Primitive Social Action
Advisor: Tyler Burge
Esther Nikbin, Ph.D. 2025
Evolutionary Models of Kings and Queens
Advisor: Josh Armstrong and Sam Cumming (Co-Chairs)
Tim Buchanan, Ph.D. 2025
Speech, Syllogism, and Human Function in Aristotle
Advisor: Calvin Normore
Present Position: Hildegard College (Tutor, Foundations of Thought)
Kyle Scott, Ph.D. 2025
“Really Free Work”: Labor, Freedom, and Self-Realization in Aristotle, Hegel, and Marx
Advisor: Barbara Herma and A.J. Julius (Co-Chairs)
Present Position: Assistant Professor (tenure track) at Chaffey College
Daniel Ranweiler, Ph.D. 2025
How to Right a Wrong
Advisor: Barbara Herman
Present Position: Washington and Lee University (Mudd Postdoctoral Ethics Fellow)
Catherine Hochman, Ph.D. 2025
Representations of the Perceiving Self
Advisor: Gabriel Greenberg
Present Position: Université Grenoble Alpes (Postdoctoral Fellow)
Nefeli Ralli, Ph.D. 2025
Threshold Maintenance and Conditional Inference
Advisor: Sean Walsh
Present Position: Rocky Mountain College (Assistant Professor of Philosophy and Religious Studies, tenure track)
David Jonathan Pederson, Ph.D. 2025
Needs, Justice, and Exchange: A Study of Nicomachean Ethics 5.5
Advisor: Gavin Lawrence
2024 Ph.D.’s
Aaron West, Ph.D. 2024
Understanding, Real Definitions, and Causes in Spinoza
Advisor: John Carriero
Present Position: Harvey Mudd College (Adjunct Assistant Professor)
Torsten Odland, Ph.D. 2024
Truth in the World
Advisor: Sam Cumming
Present Position: Cal State Long Beach (Lecturer)
Sevcan Gugumcu, Ph.D. 2024
Essays on Being and Predication in Aristotle
Advisor: Adam Crager
Present Position: UCLA (Visiting Scholar)
2023 Ph.D.’s
Saraliza Anzaldúa, Ph.D. 2023
Monsters and Mestizos: Mestizaje as White Supremacy and the Monsterization of Indigeneity.
Advisor: AJ Julius
Present Position (beginning Fall 2023): California Institute of Integral Studies (tenured)
Piera Maurizio, Ph.D. 2023
The Epistemic, Moral, and Political Significance of an Open Mind.
Advisor: Seana Shiffrin
Present Position: INDEEP AI (Ethics and Compliance Coordinator)
2022 Ph.D.’s
Zachary Biondi, Ph.D. 2022
Kant’s System of Moral Law
Advisor: Barbara Herman and Tyler Burge
Present Position: University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (Lecturer)
Ian Boon, Ph.D. 2022
Variables in Logic and Natural Language
Advisor: Sam Cumming
Christian De Leon, Ph.D. 2022
Situated Conversation: The Role of Attention in Communication
Advisors: Sam Cumming and Gabe Greenberg
Past Position: Williams College (Visiting Assistant Professor)
Present Position: University of Iceland (Postdoctoral Fellow) and University College Dublin (Visiting Scholar)
Kim Johnston, Ph.D. 2022
Contradictions and the Structure of Reasoning.
Advisors: Josh Armstrong and Sherri Roush
Melissa Retkwa, Ph.D. 2022
The Value of Recognition.
Advisor: AJ Julius
Present Position: Auburn College (Lecturer)
Ayana Samuel, Ph.D. 2022
Joint Action, Speech, and Asymmetric Relations
Advisor: Pamela Hieronymi & AJ Julius
Present Position: York University (tenure-track)
2021 Ph.D.’s
Jenna Donohue, Ph.D. 2021
A Deliberative Conception of Moral Complicity
Advisor: AJ Julius
Past Position: Postdoctoral Fellow of Embedded EthiCS, Harvard University
Present Position: University of Arkansas (tenure-track)
Andrew Flynn, Ph.D. 2021
Morality and Irony
Advisors: Barbara Herman and AJ Julius
Present Position: Dean’s Postdoctoral Scholar, Florida State University
Emily Page, Ph.D. 2021
Openness to the Development of the Relationship: A Theory of Close Relationships
Advisor: AJ Julius
Ally Peabody Smith, Ph. D. 2021
Learning from Profound Intellectual Disability
Advisor: Daniela Dover and AJ Julius
Present Position: Postdoctoral Researcher, UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine, Department of Medicine
Future Position (beginning Fall 2024): Lehigh University, College of Health (tenure-track)
Trent Teti, Ph.D. 2021
The Third Motive On Non-Hedonic, Self-Regarding Reasons for Acting
Advisor: Barbara Herman
2020 Ph.D.’s
Milo Crimi, Ph.D. 2020
Destroying the Modes of Signifying: Anti-Modism in Late Medieval Philosophy of Language
Advisors: Brian Copenhaver and Calvin Normore
Past Position: Assistant Professor (tenure track) at the University of Montevallo
William Kowalsky, Ph.D. 2020 Confidence and Objective Probability Signaling in Perceptual Systems Advisor: Tyler Burge Past Position: UCLA (Lecturer) Present Position: York University (Postdoctoral Fellow)
Jordan Wallace-Wolf, J.D. 2017, Ph.D. 2020 Mental Privacy Advisor: Seana Shiffrin Present Position: University of Arkansas at Little Rock School of Law (tenure-track)
2019 Ph.D.’s
Gabriel Dupre, Ph.D. 2019
Ways in the Studies of Words: The Methodology and Epistemology of Linguistic Science
Advisor: Sam Cumming
Past Position: Leverhulme Early Career Fellow, at Keele University
Present Position: (beginning Winter 2024): UC Davis (tenure-track)
Michael Hansen, Ph.D. 2019
Worlds Apart: An Interpretation of Leibnizian Perceiving
Advisor: John Carriero and Calvin Normore
Present Position: Brigham Young University (tenure-track)
Antti Hiltunen, Ph.D. 2019
Spinoza: The Human Mind as an Understanding of the Nature of its Body
Advisor: John Carriero
Past Position: UCLA (Lecturer)
Present Position: Software Engineer, ISBX
Gabbrielle M. Johnson, Ph.D. 2019
Cognition and the Structure of Bias
Advisors: Sam Cumming and Gabe Greenberg
Past Position: UCLA (Lecturer)
Past Position: Bersoff Faculty Fellow, NYU (post-doctoral fellowship)
Present Position: Claremont McKenna College (tenured)
Andrew Lavin, Ph.D. 2019 Normality Judgments: Structure and Content Advisors: Gavin Lawrence and Calvin Normore Present Position: Butte College, Feather River College, and CSU Chico (Philosophy Instructor)
Lauren Schaeffer, Ph.D. 2019 Oppression and Resistance Advisor: A.J. Julius Present Position: UCLA (Lecturer)
Michael Skiles, Ph.D. 2019 First Principles to Further our Understanding of What is to be Done Advisor: Calvin Normore Present Position: C.E.O., HostGPO
Eric Tracy, Ph.D. 2019 The Bounds of Thought: Prospects for a Norm-Based Metasemantics
Advisors: Sam Cumming and Josh Armstrong
Past Positions: City College of New York and Fordham University (Adjunct Assistant Professor)
Present Position: Princeton University (Lecturer)
2018 Ph.D.’s
Jonathan Gingerich, Ph.D. 2018 Freedom’s Spontaneity Advisors: Calvin Normore and Seana Shiffrin Past Position: Washington University St. Louis (post-doc)
Past Position: King’s College London-The Dickson Poon School of Law
Present Position: Rutgers Law School (tenured)
Brian Hutler, J.D. 2014, Ph.D. 2018
Cooperation, Religious Freedom, and the Liberal State
Advisors: Barbara Herman, Seana Shiffrin
Past Position: University of Pennsylvania (Lecturer)
Past Position: Johns Hopkins University Berman Institute of Bioethics (post-doc)
Present Position: Temple University (tenure-track)
Kevin Lande, Ph.D. 2018
Parts of Perception
Advisor: Tyler Burge
Past Position: University of Antwerp (post-doc)
Present Position: York University (tenured), Director of The Cognitive Science program
Olúfẹmi O. Táíwò, Ph.D. 2018
Autobiography
Advisors: AJ Julius
Present Position: Georgetown University (tenured)
Sabine Tsuruda, J.D. 2016, Ph.D. 2018
Moral Agency and the Workplace Advisors: Seana Shiffrin Present Position: Queens University School of Law (tenure-track)
2017 Ph.D.’s
Laura Gillespie, Ph.D. 2017 On the Possibility and Permissibility of Interpersonal Punishment Advisor: Seana Shiffrin Present Position: McCoy Family Center for Ethics in Society, Stanford University (post-doc)
Skef Iterum, Ph.D. 2017
Technical Warrant and its Relation to Intentional Action
Advisor: AJ Julius
Present Position: Senior Font Tools Developer, Adobe
William Reckner, Ph.D. 2017 The Form of Law: Practical Principles and the Foundations of Kant’s Moral Theory Advisor: Barbara Herman Present Position: University of Richmond (tenure-track)
Tamar Weber, Ph.D. 2017 Forming Concepts and Doing it Well: A Theory and Epistemology for Empirical Concepts Advisor: Tyler Burge Past Position: UCLA (Lecturer) Present Position: Finance Budget Analyst, California Department of Finance
2016 Ph.D.’s
Gregory Antill, Ph.D. 2016 The Ethics of Self-Fulfilling Beliefs Advisor: Pamela Hieronymi Present Position: Pace University (Assistant Professor of Law (tenure-track))
Lee-Ann Chae, Ph.D. 2016 War and Peace: Towards a Just Peace Advisor: A.J. Julius Past Position: Wharton School of Business (post-doc) Present Position: Temple University (tenured)
Lindsey Chambers, Ph.D. 2016 Role Obligations and the Morality of Reproductive Selection Advisor: Barbara Herman Past Position:McCoy Family Center for Ethics in Society, Stanford University (post-doc) Past Position: Harvard University (College Fellow) Present Position: University of Kentucky (tenure-track)
Ashley Feinsinger, Ph.D. 2016 Making Words Advisor: Sam Cumming Past Position: University of San Diego (tenure-track) Present Position: Assistant Professor, Department of Neurosurgery, UCLA School of Medicine
2015 Ph.D.’s
David Attanasio, Ph.D. 2015 The State Obligation to Protect Advisor: Seana Shiffrin Past Position: Universidad de los Andes (Visiting Professor) Past Position: Universidad de Bogotá Jorge Tadeo Lozano (tenure-track) Present Position: Dechert LLP (Counsel, International Arbitration Group)
Justin Jennings, Ph.D. 2015 Right Action and Integrity Advisor: Barbara Herman Present Position: Wake Forest University (Associate Teaching Professor)
Andrew Jewell, Ph.D. 2015 Believing for Reasons Advisor: Mark Greenberg Past Position: UCLA (Lecturer)
Aaron Mead, Ph.D. 2015 On Loving Some People More than Others Advisor: Pamela Hieronymi Past Position: Caltech (Lecturer) Present Position: Exponent Engineering and Scientific Consulting (Managing Engineer)
Ingrid Steinberg, Ph.D. 2015 Paternalism and the Moral Status of Children Advisor: Tyler Burge
Past Position: UCLA (Lecturer)
2014 Ph.D.’s
Joshua Blander, Ph.D. 2014 Dependence, Separability, and Theories of Identity and Distinction in Late Medieval Philosophy: Case Studies from Scotus and Ockham Advisor: Calvin Normore Present Position: The Kings College (tenure-track)
Denis Bühler, Ph.D. 2014 Psychological Agency: Guidance of Visual Attention Advisor: Tyler Burge Past Position: Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (post-doc) Past Position: Oxford University (Lecturer) Past Position: University of Antwerp (post doctoral fellowship) Past Position: University of Tübingen (tenure-track) Present Position: Ecole Normale Supérieure (permanent post)
David Friedell, Ph.D. 2014 Abstract Artifacts Advisors: Sam Cumming, Terry Parsons Past Position: Barnard College (Visiting Assistant Professor) Past Position: University of British Columbia (post doctoral fellowship)
Present Position: Union College (tenured)
Adam Masters, Ph.D. 2014 On Emotion Advisor: Mark Greenberg Present Position: Washington State Department of Transportation (Accounting)
Paul Nichols, Ph.D. 2014 The Meaning and Semantics of Singular Definite Noun Phrases Advisors: Joseph Almog and Sam Cumming Past Position: UCLA (Lecturer) Present Position: University of Tennessee, Knoxville (Lecturer)
2013 Ph.D.’s
Janelle DeWitt, Ph.D. 2013 The Structure and Function of Emotion in Kant’s Moral Theory Advisor: Barbara Herman Past Position: King’s College PA (tenure-track) Past Position: Western Michigan University (Visiting Asst. Prof.) Past Position: University of Indiana (post-doctoral fellowship) Present Position: UCLA (Adjunct Assistant Professor)
Jeffrey Helmreich, Ph.D. 2013 More than Words: Stances as an Alternative Model for Apology, Forgiveness, and Other Speech Acts Advisor: Seana Shiffrin Present Position: University of California, Irvine (tenured)
Rachel Johnson, Ph.D. 2013 What Are Practical Reasons? Explaining the Counting in Favor of Relation Advisor: Pamela Hieronymi Present Position: Trinity University (tenure-track)
Diane Kierce, Ph.D. 2013 Deciding What Is Best for the Child: The Ethics of Different-Child Choices in Reproductive Selection Advisor: Barbara Herman Present Position: Nordstrom (Marketing Technology Data Analyst)
Michael Lopez, Ph.D. 2013 The Nature of Indoctrination and Its Role in a Proper Education Advisor: Calvin Normore Present Position: Lopez, Bark & Schulz LLP (Partner)
Yannig Luthra, Ph.D. 2013 Embodied Rational Agency Advisor: Tyler Burge Past Position: University College London (Teaching Fellow)
Youichi Matsusaka, Ph.D. 2013 A Theory of Direct Discourse: Its Semantics and Pragmatics Advisor: David Kaplan Present Position: Tokyo Metropolitan University (tenured)
Eliot Michaelson, Ph.D. 2013 This and That: On the Semantics and Pragmatics of Highly Context Sensitive Terms Advisor: Sam Cumming and David Kaplan Past Position: McGill University (two-year post doc, Mellon) Present Position: Kings College London (permanent post)
Eileen Nutting, Ph.D. 2013 Understanding Arithmetic through Definitions Advisor: Tony Martin Present Position: University of Kansas (tenured)
Gabriel Rabin, Ph.D. 2013 Mind, Modality, and Meaning: Towards a Rationalist Physicalism Advisor: Tyler Burge Past Position: Australian National University (one-year post doc) Present Position: NYU, Abu Dhabi (tenured)
Ira Richardson, Ph.D. 2013 The Morality of Mental Practical Action Advisor: Barbara Herman Past Position: UCLA (Lecturer)
Luca Struble, Ph.D. 2013 Anti-Individualism and Epistemic Transparency: Common Sense Rationalism about Univocal Reasoning Advisor: Tyler Burge Past Position: UCLA (Lecturer) Past Position: Pomona College (Visiting Asst. Prof.) Present Position: UCLA Extension (Instructor)
2012 Ph.D.’s
Mandel Cabrera, Ph.D. 2012 Natural Unity and Human Nature Advisor: Joseph Almog and Barbara Herman Past Position: Auburn University (Instructor) Past Position: UCLA (Lecturer) Past Position: UIC, Yonsei University (Asst. Prof., renewable) Past Position: UIC, Yonsei University (tenure-track)
Present Position: Veritas Res
Tilda Cvrkel, Ph.D. 2012 Mitigation, Deliberation, and Moral Assessment Advisor: Barbara Herman Present Position: UCLA Dept. of Molecular, Cell, and Developmental Biology (Lecturer)
David Goldman, Ph.D. 2012 The Justification of Antagonistic Response to Wrongdoing Advisor: Pamela Hieronymi Past Position: Yale University (Postdoctoral Fellow) Past Position: The Ohio State University (Visiting Asst. Prof.) Past Position: UCLA Extension (Program Director) Present Position: Rutgers University (Associate Director of Undergraduate Education)
Sarah Jansen, Ph.D. 2012 Plato and Popular Poetry Advisor: Gavin Lawrence Past Position: Carleton College (Visiting Asst. Prof.) Past Position: Carleton College (tenure-track) Present Position: Northern Arizona University
Ari Lev, Ph.D. 2012 Active Parts of the World Advisor: Joseph Almog, John Carriero
Jessica Pepp, Ph.D. 2012 Locating Semantic Reference Advisor: Joseph Almog Past Position: McGill University (Lectureship)
Past Position: University of Oslo (post doc)
Present Position: Uppsala University (Researcher)
Alexandru Radulescu, Ph.D. 2012 The Logic of Indexicals Advisor: David Kaplan Past Position: UCLA (Lecturer) Present Position: University of Missouri (tenured)
Stephen White, Ph.D. 2012 Friendship, Beneficence, and the Self Advisor: Barbara Herman Present Position: Northwestern University (tenured)
2011 Ph.D.’s
Sarah Coolidge, Ph.D. 2011 From Concepts to Cosmos Advisor: Joseph Almog, John Carriero Present Position: Behavioral Health Specialist, SOME (So Others Might Eat)
Kristina Gehrman, Ph.D. 2011 Bringing Values Down to Earth Advisor: Gavin Lawrence Past Position: Miami University of Ohio (tenure-track) Present Position: University of Tennessee, Knoxville (tenured)
Christopher Ba-Thi Nguyen, Ph.D. 2011 The Ethics of Uncertainty Advisor: Barbara Herman Past Position: California State University, Fullerton (Lectureship) Past Position: Utah Valley University (tenured)
Present Position: University of Utah (tenured)
Jesse Summers, Ph.D. 2011 Addiction as Compulsive Misvaluation Advisor: Pamela Hieronymi Past Position: Rice University (Visiting Asst. Prof.) Present Position: Duke University (Lecturing Fellow)
Thomas Ward, Ph.D. 2011 The Hylomorphism of John Duns Scotus Advisor: Calvin Normore Past Position: Azusa Pacific University (Visiting Asst. Prof.) Present Position: Baylor University (tenure-track)
Julie Wulfemeyer, Ph.D. 2011 Bound Cognition and Referential Uses of Language Advisor: Joseph Almog Past Position: Colgate University (Visiting Asst. Prof.) Past Position: Minnesota State, Mankato (Visiting Asst. Prof.) Present Position: Minnesota State, Mankato (tenured)
2010 Ph.D.’s
Jorah Dannenberg, Ph.D. 2010 Promising as Paradigm Advisors: Joseph Almog and Seana Shiffrin Past Position: UCLA (Lecturer) Past Position: Stanford University (two-year post doc) Past Position: Stanford University (tenure-track)
Present Position: Brandeis University (tenure-track)