Academic Biography
Teaching Philosophy
My teaching begins from the belief that philosophy is an integral collaborative practice that helps students interpret the existential, social, and political contexts they live in. I strive to cultivate an environment where critical inquiry and personal growth converge, preparing students with the philosophical skills necessary to navigate the complexities of the modern world. Above all, I want students to leave my classes with a sense that philosophical thinking is a critical practice for imagining and establishing egalitarian and livable futures.
Solo-Taught Courses at University of Oregon
PHIL 315: Feminist Philosophy
Examines key feminist thinkers and movements across historical moments, with attention to gender, race, and class.
PHIL 102: Ethics
Foundational moral theories applied to contemporary society, focusing on freedom and responsibility.
Future Course Interests
Latin American Philosophy
Traverses the unique intellectual history and decolonial movements across Latin American thought.
Feminism & the Scientific Enterprise
Analyzes the intersections of gender, power, and objectivity within scientific practices and epistemology.
PHIL 340: Environmental Philosophy
Explores philosophical questions about nature, climate, and responsibility across pluralistic perspectives.
PHIL 101: Philosophical Problems
An introduction to classical and modern texts from the Pre-Socractics through the twenty-first century. Sample topics include free will, the mind-body problem, the existence of an external world, normative ethics, justice, identity, culture, technology and media.
The Human Condition & Critical Theory
Investigates modern societal structures and the possibilities for social transformation through critical inquiry.
PHIL 309: Global Justice
Investigates debates about justice across borders through a transdisciplinary lens of history and sociology.
Existentialism & Phenomenology
Explores themes of existence, freedom, and the direct study of consciousness and first-person experience.
Engaged Philosophy
Collaborating with local and international communities to drive civic engagement and collective action on ethical issues and social policy.
Invited Talks
Presentations bringing philosophical perspectives to global audiences.
Media
Contributing to platforms that emphasize philosophy's relevance.
Conferences
Facilitating transdisciplinary events that engage the community.
Research Interests
A platform for share research, mentorship, and building community.
Academic Portfolio
Conferences
philoSOPHIA conference, Critical Borderlands, Texas A&M University, April 2025
The XXII Caribbean Philosophy Association Conference, Quintana Roo, June 2024
The Philippine Sociological Society Conference, October 2024
First Feminist Physics Conference, University of Michigan, Detroit, June 2024
XIV Spanish Society for Phenomenology International Conference, Madrid, Spain, September 2023
Society for the Advancement of American Philosophy, Howard University, March 2025
Publications
“Fenomenología, Lenguaje, y Relación Animada/Phenomenology, Language, and Animate Relation” in Entre fenomenología y feminismo. SB Editorial, Argentina. In production.
The AEC Steering Committee. "Prison as Palimpsest: The Dialectics of the Cell and Everyday Life," in Jennifer Turner and Victoria Knight, The Prison Cell: Embodied and Everyday Spaces of Incarceration. Palgrave Macmillan. 2020.
Connect with Me
Whether you are seeking academic collaboration or have specific inquiries regarding my research portfolio, I am available to discuss your academic goals. Please reach out to jvw@uoregon.edu.