I received my Ph.D. in Philosophy from Stony Brook University and my MA in Philosophy from Toronto Metropolitan University.
In my research, I draw upon phenomenology (the description of the conditions of human experience) alongside narratives concerning exile, displacement, and alienation to understand belonging and how our natural, material, and social environments inform our feeling more or less at home in the world.
My research focus on belonging extends into and is informed by my approach to teaching. We always orient ourselves in and towards places in which we belong or do not belong, and the classroom, for better or worse, is no exception to this. Consequently, the role of a teacher involves creating the conditions for students to feel comfortable thinking through the ways their own lives are shaped by foundational texts and ideas. I make it my goal to situate students in such conversations, not as outsiders (even if it’s their first time encountering such thoughts), but as active participants who belong in and are important to discussions of ideas of broad human importance.