Graduate Placement

One of the aims of the graduate program in the Sage School is to help students compete favorably in the academic job market. Each year a member of the faculty serves as placement director, whose role it is to oversee and guide students through the process of looking for jobs in philosophy. Among other things, the placement director assists each candidate with the preparation of their application dossier (writing sample, research statement, teaching dossier, CV, etc.), coordinates the gathering of letters of reference, invites guest speakers to provide advice about particular sectors of the job market, organizes practice interviews and job talks, and is there to offer guidance and support through the job market process.

The placement director for academic year 2019-20 is Professor Scott MacDonald.

The Cornell Graduate School also provides assistance and seminars to help those who want to pursue careers outside of academia. Non-academic placements of our graduates have included healthcare, investing, biotechnology, and actuarial science.

Below is a table with initial placements and current positions of our graduates going back to 2009. Email the department or Professor MacDonald with any questions.

To reference online many of the dissertations published since 2013, click here.

Name / Year of Graduation	Dissertation Title	Areas of Interest	First Position	Current/Most Recent Known Position
2019
BRUNO, Francesca	The Quantity Debate in Late Medieval and Early Modern Europe: A Question at the Intersection of Physics, Metaphysics, and Theology		Senior Site Director for 12+ Plus, Hill-Freedman World Academy (Philadelphia, PA)
CHI, Zeyu	Essays on Essence, Explanation and Kind-Membership		Postdoctoral Fellow at Peking University (2019-2021)
ERDEL, John-Paul	The Stability of a Reasonable Political Order
FAIRBAIRN, Frances H.	Tangled Inferences: An Investigation of Inference Webs in Metaphysics, Epistemology, and the Philosophy of Science		Cornell University, Philosophical Review Visiting Lecturer (2019-20)
FIELDING, David	Words and Doing Things: What Meanings Can Do and the Role of Motivational States in Determining Meaning
FOERSTER, Thomas	Epistemic Gaps and the Mind-Body Problem		Software Developer, Myplanet
MATHEW, Vivek (expected Dec 2019)	Metaphysical Essays - Modal Reductionism, Laws of Nature, and Modal Semantics	Metaphysics, Philosophy of Religion, Philosophy of Language, Cognitive Science, History of Philosophy	Director, Chesterton House, Ithaca, NY
MOBUS, Freya	Socratic therapy for the criminal, the glutton, and the coward.	Ancient Greek Philosophy	Loyola University of Chicago, Assistant Professor (TT)
MUNGUIA, Lucia Maria	Speaker-Oriented Conversational Surprise and Conversational Expectations	Philosophy of Language, Feminist Philosophy, Bioethics	Franklin and Marshall College	William Paterson University, NJ (TT)
2018
BREWER, Kimberly Marie	Studies in Kant's Doctrine of an Intuitive Intellect	Kant, Early Modern Philosophy, Metaphysics Feminist History of Philosophy	Indiana University Bloomington, Postdoctoral Fellow (2018-2020)	Indiana University Bloomington, Postdoctoral Fellow (2018-2020)
CONLEY, Brandon Allen	Ends, Norms, and Representations: Why ask "Why?" in Biology?	Philosophy of Science (Biology and Cognitive Science), Philosophy of Mind	College of New Jersey and Lehman College, Adjunct Professor	Colgate University, Visiting Assistant Professor (2019-2020)


WON, Yuna	Semantic and Metaethical Puzzles about Normative Language	Philosophy of Language, Philosophy of Logic, Metaphysics	Ithaca College, Visiting Assistant Professor (2018-19)	Ithaca College, Visiting Assistant Professor (2019-20)


ZETTEL, David	Moral Evaluation in Albert the Great and Thomas Aquinas		Adjunct, Mount Mary University (WI)
2017
DUGGAN, Austin	Retributive Caution, Guiltworthiness, and the Rationality of Anger	Ethics, Philosophy of Action (Free Will and Moral Responsibility)	California State University, Long Beach, Lecturer	California State University, Long Beach, Lecturer


EPSTEIN, Eric	Truth and Belief: Case Studies in Conceptual Engineering	Philosophy of Language, Philosophy of Mind, Philosophy of Logic, Logic	Penn State University, Lecturer, Fall 2017


HECKEL, Marta A.	Plato's Guide to Philosophical Preparedness: the Dangers of Philosophy and How to Handle Them	Classical Greek Philosophy	Cornell University, Philosophical Review Visiting Lecturer	Assitant Professor, University of Missouri at Columbia (TT)


MATHIE SMITH, Catherine Mary	Self-Respecting Animals: Three Papers on Kant's View of Human Nature and Morality	Kant, Ethics	Iona College, 3-year Visiting Assistant Professor (2017-2020)	Iona College, 3-year Visiting Assistant Professor (2017-2020)


MEYVIS, Nate	Knowledge, Simplicity, and Predication: Essays on Plato's "Theatetus"	Ancient Philosophy	Seven Bridges Genomics, Cambridge, MA	Software Engineer, Google (MA)


SHERWIN, Emily	Temporally Extended Rationality and the Ethics of Belief			Professor of Law, Cornell University
SWARUP, Shruta	Servility, Democracy, and the Duty to Obey the Law	Ethics, Political Philosophy, Philosophy of Law	University of Virginia, Postdoctoral Fellowship	University of Toronto, Assistant Professor (TT)


2016
BENDORF, Adam	Obligations and Blame at the Moral Epistemological Limit	Ethics, Epistemology	GEICO, Actuarial Associate	Data Scientist, Dillards, Inc., Little Rock, Arkansas


HENSLEY, Ian	The Principles and Elements of Stoic Physics	Ancient Greek and Roman Philosophy	Cornell University, Philosophical Review Visiting Lecturer	University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Lecturer (2019-20)


KOVACS, David	Explanation, Dependence, and Ontology: Essays in Meta-Metaphysics	Metaphysics, Philosophy of Mind, Epistemology	Bilkent University (Turkey), Assistant Professor (TT)	Tel Aviv University, Assistant Professor (TT)


ROBERTS, Clifford Masood	In Observance of the Everyday: The concept of Assent in Pyrrhonian Skepticism	Ancient Philosophy	University of Victoria (BC, Canada), Post-doctoral Fellowship	University of Victoria (BC, Canada) (TT)


TENG, Lu	Cognitive Penetrability and the Epistemological Significance of Etiology	Epistemology, Philosophy of Mind	NYU-Shanghai, Asst. Prof. (TT); deferred until 2017 to take Postdoc at University of Antwerp	NYU-Shanghai, Assistant Professor (TT)


THOMSON, Jordan	Rich Man, Poor Man: Prosperity, Poverty, and the Significance of Need	Ethics, Political Philosophy	Franklin & Marshall College, Adjunct Assistant Professor	University of Toronto, Assistant Professor


VIGGIANO, Andrea	Servility, Democracy, and the Duty to Obey the Law	Ethics, Political Philosophy, Philosophy of Law	University of Leeds, Visiting Research Fellow	University of Leeds, Visiting Research Fellow


YE, Ru	Higher-Order Evidence: Puzzles and Solutions	Epistemology	Wuhan University (China), Associate Professor (TT)	Wuhan University (China), Associate Professor (TT)


2015
MC KAY, Ian James	A New Account of Scientific Models and Approximation	Philosophy of Science	University of Pittsburgh, Postdoctoral Fellowship	Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, Lecturer


MURPHY, Daniel Scott	Qualiltativism: an Elucidation and Defense	Metaphysics, Philosophy of Religion	Cornell University, Philosophical Review Visiting Lecturer	SUNY Cortland, Lecturer


ROWE, Eric	Deflationary Metaphysics	Metaphysics	Cornell University, Philosophical Review Visiting Lecturer
ROWE, Eric	Deflationary Metaphysics	Metaphysics	Cornell University, Philosophical Review Visiting Lecturer
2014
BULTHUIS, Nathaniel	Walter Burley on the Metaphysics of the Proposition and Its Relation to Language and Thought	Medieval Philosophy, Philosophy of Religion	Cornell University, Philosophical Review Visiting Lecturer	St. Joseph's University (PA), Assistant Professor (TT)



BRUCE-ROBERTSON, Lawrence	The Project of Speculative Thinking in Hegel's Philosophy	Ancient, Early Modern, & Modern Philosophy	Grenfell Campus of Memorial University (CAN), Assistant Professor	Grenfell Campus of Memorial University (CAN), Assistant Professor, Humanities (TT)


MAHAFFEY, Stephen James	Inference, Thought Experiments, and Physicalism	Metaphysics, Epistemology	Cornell University, Philosophical Review Visiting Lecturer	Medical Researcher, University of Ottawa


SMITH, Subrena Elaine	Philosophy Evolving: Some Perils of Evolutionary Explanation	Philosophy of Biology, of Evolutionary Explanation of Science, Epistemology, Ethics, Metaphilosophy	University of New Hampshire, Assistant Professor (TT)	University of New Hampshire, Assistant Professor (TT)



2013
ABRAHAMS, Zachary	Semantic Approaches to Quotation, Metonymy and Commonly Used Verbs	Philosophy of Language	Cornell University, Philosophical Review Visiting Lecturer	Software Engineer, Nav, Inc.


BALTAZAR, Vincent Demetrius	Equal Opportunity and Self Respect	Political Philosophy


DEMIRCHYAN, Grigor	International Justice in An Age of Globalization	Political Philosophy		Corporate Attorney/Partner, Emergent Legal (CA)


HOBBS, James Austin	Ought Claims and Blame in a Deterministic World	Ethics, Free Will		Monroe County Public Defender, Rochester, NY


KORZUKHIN, Theodore	Indicative and Subjunctive Conditionals: A Neo-Stalnankerian Account	Philosophy of Language, Decision Theory	Kutztown University, Visiting Assistant Professor	Cornell University, Lecturer


MAYER, Patrick	Responsibility, Identity, and Luck	Normative Ethics, Meta-Ethics, Social and Political Philosophy, Metaphilosophy	Lycoming College, Visiting Assistant Professor	Sienna Heights University (MI), Assistant Professor (TT)


MC LEAR, Colin	Essays on Kant on Perception and Cognition	History of Modern, Kant, Philosophy of Mind	University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Assistant Professor (TT)	University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Associate Professor


O’CONNOR, Scott	On the Principles of Nature: An Interpretation of Aristotle's Physics I.5-8	Ancient Philosophy, Metaphysics	University of Maryland, Baltimore County, Instructor	New Jersey City University, Assistant Professor (TT)


VANCE, Jona	Background Influences: Psychological Processes That Shape Perception, Emotion, and Morals	Epistemology, Philosophy of Mind, Moral Psychology	Northern Arizona University, Lecturer	Northern Arizona University, Assistant Proessor (TT)


2012
ALWOOD, Andrew Holcomb	The Imperative Topic of Normative Language	Metaethics, Philosophy of Language	Cornell University, Philosophical Review Visiting Lecturer	Virginia Commonwealth University, Assistant Professor (TT)


CHUNG, Hun	Unleashing the Leviathan: Against Common Interpretations and a Contemporary Decision-Theoretic Reconstructio of Hobbes's Moral and Political Philosophy	Ethics, Political Philosophy, History of Political Thought	University of Rochester, Department of Political Science, Second Ph.D. program	Waseda University, Tokyo, Associate Professor





LU, Rachel Smith	Virtue in Bonaventurean Ethics	Medieval Philosophy, Ethics	University of St. Thomas, Instructor	University of St. Thomas, Instructor


WAIDLER, Katharyn Denise	Aquinas on Love	Medieval Philosophy, Ancient Philosophy, Ethics	Wheaton College, Assistant Professor (TT)	Sales Associate, REI, Boulder, CO


2011
INGLIS, Kristen A	Aristotle on the Virtues of Slaves, Women, and Children	Ancient Philosophy, Ethics	University of Pittsburgh, Assistant Professor (TT)	Academic Manager, Prison Education Program, Wesleyan University, CT


JEZZI, Nathaniel Nelson	Moral Objectivity, Autonomy, and Reasons: The Constructivist Challenge to Realism	Ethics, Ancient Philosophy, Political Philosophy	University of Aberdeen, Teaching Fellow	Lafayette College, Visiting Assistant Professor / Research Associate


KOLTONSKI, Daniel A	Political Obligation and Democratic Community: An Account of the Democratic Citizen’s Duty to Uphold the Law	Political Philosophy, Ethics, Philosophy of Law, Applied Ethics and Continental Social Theory	Haverford College, Instructor	University of Delaware, Assistant Professor (TT)



KRISHNAMURTHY, Meena	Democracy in Global Institutions	Social and Political Philosophy, Ethics	Dalhousie University, Postdoctoral Fellow	University of Michigan, Assistant Professor (TT)


KYLE, Brent Granville	Knowledge as a Thick Concept: New Light on the Gettier and Value Problems	Ethics and Epistemology	University of New Brunswick, Instructor	US Air Force Academy, Assistant Professor (TT equivalent)


PENNER, Sidney	Francisco Suarez on Acting for the Sake of the Ultimate End	History of Philosophy, Ethics and Metaethics, Philosophy of Religion	University of Oxford, Merton College, Junior Research Fellow	Asbury University (KY), Adjunct Lecturer


ROSENTHAL, Saul Gordon	Plato’s Explanatory Predication	Ancient Philosophy, Plato’s Metaphysics and Epistemology	University of Pennsylvania, Postdoctoral Fellow	University of Pennsylvania, Lecturer


YARBROUGH III, Joseph William	Philip the Chancellor, Bonaventure of Bognoregio, and Thomas Aquinas on the Eternity of the World	Ancient Philosophy	Ave Maria University (FL), Assistant Professor (TT)	Ave Maria University (FL), Classics and Philosophy Assistant Professor (TT)



2010
KLEIN, Jacob Samuel	Nature and Reason in Stoic Ethics	Ancient Philosophy, Metaethics, Ethics	Colgate University, Assistant Professor (TT)	Colgate University, Associate Professor (w/ tenure)


STAPLETON, Sean Jason	Hard Incompatibilist Challenges to Morality and Autonomy	Ethics, Free Will	Cornell University, Philosophical Review Visiting Lecturer	Blooomsburg University (PA), Visiting Assistant Professor


STREETT, Sara Kristen	State Sovereignty and the Contemporary Global Economy	Political Philosophy, Ethics	Vassar College, Lecturer	Marist College, Adjunct Professor of Philosophy


2009
FEDYK, Mark	The Psychology and Epistemology of (Mostly Moral) Intuition	Philosophy of Biology, Philosophy of Psychology, Value Theory, Epistemology	Mount Allison University, Assistant Professor (TT)	Mount Allison University, Associate Professor (w/ tenure)


LIEBESMAN, David	The Nature of Predication	Philosophy of Language, Metaphysics	Boston University, Assistant Professor	University of Calgary, Associate Professor (w/ tenure)


SAUCEDO CEBALLOS, Raul	Things, Places, and Possibilities: Metaphysical Essays	Metaphysics, Philosophical Logic	Australian National University, Research Fellow	University of Colorado, Boulder, Assistant Professor (TT)

Graduate Placement

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