Justice and Ethics in Modern America Faculty and Mentors
It’s never too early to shape a more enlightened world view. Our Summer Institute in Justice and Ethics in Modern America can help you do that. It’s a three-week, remote study program that introduces the relevance of philosophy in examining both the ethical and political challenges that currently face American society.
This course is part of the Pre-College at SUNY Geneseo program, which provides junior and senior high school students the opportunity to take college-level courses taught by distinguished faculty.
David Levy
Co-Director
David Levy is the Chair of the Department of Philosophy. He specializes in Ancient Greek Philosophy, with a focus on how the Ancient Greeks understood moral attitudes and how best to shape them. He has received the SUNY Chancellor’s Award for both Excellence in Teaching and Excellence in Faculty Service. A proud graduate of SUNY Geneseo, he grew up in Yorktown Heights, New York. An avid cook, he enjoys involving his children in the creation of meals the entire family can safely enjoy (his wife—also a Geneseo graduate—is gluten-intolerant).
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Carly Herold
Co-Director
Carly Herold is a Visiting Assistant Professor in the Philosophy Department, Coordinator of the Conflict Studies minor, and Co-Director of the Forum on Constitutionalism and Democracy. She is interested in how classical political philosophy can help us think about the role of reason in politics, as well as ancient, early-modern, and contemporary accounts of leadership, rhetoric, and ambition. Hailing from New York City with family living across Europe, Turkey, and the Middle East, and having lived all over the United States, she enjoys trying (and generally failing) to recreate French crepes, Turkish street food, and Texas BBQ at home.
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Dr. Lee M. Pierce
Faculty
Dr. Lee M. Pierce (they/them) is a podcast host, culture writer, and assistant professor of rhetoric in the SUNY Geneseo Department of Communication. Research interests include US political culture, syntax, language, Black and African Diaspora studies, feminism, and indigeneity. Recent publications include a close reading of Black womanhood in FATE: A Winx Saga for Dismantle Magazine and an analysis of Black radical tragic comedy in Dave Chappelle's Sticks & Stones for Text & Performance Quarterly. Lee also performs stand-up comedy in their free time along with roller skating and knitting. You can check out their latest interview with The Washington Post here. Connect on social @rhetoriclee.
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Brian C. Barnett
Faculty
Brian C. Barnett attended the University of Oklahoma (in his home state) as a first-generation college student and McNair Scholar. After graduating summa cum laude with a B.S. in Mathematics and B.A. in Philosophy, he further pursued Philosophy at the University of Rochester on a Dean’s Fellowship, completing an M.A. and a Ph.D. Brian’s primary teaching and research interests are in epistemology, philosophy of religion, Eastern philosophy, and the philosophy of nonviolence. He is the editor of Introduction to Philosophy: Epistemology (an open access textbook with Rebus Press), editor of the Peace & Nonviolence category on PhilPapers.org, and a regular contributor to meetings of the American Philosophical Association and Concerned Philosophers for Peace. Outside of academia, Brian enjoys hiking, waterfall photography, and all things music.
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Jonathan Auyer
Faculty
Jonathan Auyer is an Adjunct Lecturer in the Philosophy Department and received his B.S. in Studio Art from Roberts Wesleyan College, and both his MA in Applied Ethics and PhD in Philosophy of Art from SUNY Albany. He specializes in ethics, moral theory, and philosophy of art, and his research interests involve issues at the intersection of art and morality including the limits of artistic free speech, the existence of pornographic art, and whether there is value in engaging with challenging and uncomfortable art. He teaches first-year writing (focusing on freedom of speech and the arts), introduction to ethics, and philosophy of the arts. He lives with his wife and kids — Hattie (7), Silas (4), and brand-new baby, Emmett — in Honeoye Falls, NY.
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Lexus (Lexi) Austin
Mentor
Lexus (Lexi) Austin (she/her) is a Junior Philosophy major at SUNY Geneseo. She plans on attending graduate school after earning her Bachelor’s degree, and going on to be a Philosophy Professor. She does a lot of studying involving metaphysics and ethics. She lives off campus, about forty-five minutes away, in the small town of Naples. Outside of school you can find her reading, singing, studying, and hanging out with her family.
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Loren Manchester
Mentor
Loren Manchester (they/them) is a senior undergraduate in the SUNY Geneseo philosophy program. They transferred to Geneseo after graduating from Finger Lakes Community College with an A.S. degree in mathematics. After graduating from Geneseo, they hope to walk through a little more of the world before settling down to become an author, teacher, librarian, death doula, and possibly a rock star. They like bluegrass & zydeco music, writing, and escaping into the woods as frequently as possible.
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Lamina Reja
Mentor
Lamina Reja (she/her) is from Queens, New York. She will graduate in May 2022 with a degree in Philosophy and a minor in Political Science. She plans to take a gap year to gain more experience and knowledge, and hopes to attend law school by 2023. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, spending time outdoors, and painting.
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Tori Tripp
Mentor
Tori Tripp (she/her) is from Oswego, NY. She is going into her third year at Geneseo as a Communication major with a Philosophy and Political Science double minor. She is very involved on campus! She is on the volleyball team here, was an Orientation Leader for the 2021-2022 school year, and is a vice chair on the Alliance for Community Enrichment, a Student Association subcommittee that oversees all of the culture clubs on campus. Outside of all of the extra curricular activities she partakes in, she enjoys lifting, spending time with loved ones, reading political theory, and playing GeoGuessr!!
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Jacob Zaengle
Mentor
Jacob Zaengle (he/him) is a senior undergraduate in Philosophy at SUNY Geneseo. Before attending school, he worked for several years as a Front-End Web Developer and has continued to carry those skills into his academic life through his work with the Center of Digital Learning at Geneseo. After graduating from Geneseo, he plans to attend graduate school for Library and Information Sciences and later work to serve his community as a public librarian and contribute time towards activist work surrounding the abolition of prisons. Outside of school, Jacob can be found playing table tennis and badminton, hiking along the Genesee Valley Greenway, or sitting by almost any body of water skipping stones.