Faculty and Staff

Front Office

Janet D. Stemwedel
Chair
Ph.D., Philosophy, Stanford
Ph.D., Chemistry, Stanford
Janet.Stemwedel@sjsu.edu

Philosophy of Science (esp. Chemical Theory and Practice), Metaphysics (esp. Causation), Ethics of Science, History of Science, Feminist Philosophy of Science

Kristine Adams
Administrative Analyst
kristine.adams@sjsu.edu

Truc Tran
Admin Support Coordinator
truc.tran@sjsu.edu

Full-Time Faculty

 
Jason Aleksander
Ph.D., Vanderbilt University

Medieval and Renaissance Philosophy, Philosophy of Religion, Dante Studies

Riana Betzler
Ph.D., History and Philosophy of Science, University of Cambridge
riana.betzler@sjsu.edu

Philosophy of Science (especially biomedical, social, and psychological sciences); Ethics (especially biomedical); Moral Psychology

Karin Brown
Ph.D., Graduate School and University Center, City University of New York
karin.brown@sjsu.edu

Ethics and Political Theory, Feminist Philosophy, Buddhist Philosophy

Étienne Brown
Graduate Advisor/Pre-Law Advisor
Ph.D., Université Paris-Sorbonne
etienne.brown@sjsu.edu

Political Philosophy, Ethics, Philosophy of Technology, Social Epistemology

Rebecca Chan
Pre-Law Advisor
Ph.D., University of Notre Dame
J.D., University of Colorado - Boulder
rebecca.s.chan@sjsu.edu

Metaphysics, Metaethics, Philosophy of Law, Philosophy of Religion

Noah Friedman-Biglin
Undergraduate Advisor 
Ph.D., Joint Programme in Philosophy at the University of St Andrews and the University of Stirling
noah.friedman-biglin@sjsu.edu

History of Analytic Philosophy, Philosophy of Logic, Philosophy of Mathematics

Jordan Liz
Undergraduate Advisor
Ph.D., University of Memphis
jordan.liz@sjsu.edu 

Philosophy of Race, Philosophy of Medicine, Bioethics.

Bo Mou
Ph.D., University of Rochester
bo.mou@sjsu.edu

Philosophy of Language, Metaphysics, Chinese Philosophy, Comparative Philosophy

Carlos Alberto Sanchez
Graduate Advisor
Ph.D., University of New Mexico
carlos.sanchez@sjsu.edu 

History of Mexican Philosophy, Phenomenology 

Anand Jayprakash Vaidya
Ph.D., University of California - Santa Barbara
anand.vaidya@sjsu.edu

Epistemology (esp. intuition, perception, and modality), Philosophy of Mind, Critical Thinking, Comparative Philosophy (esp. Classical Indian and Analytic Philosophy)

Adjunct Faculty

Fern Alberts
M.A., San José State University
Fern.Alberts@sjsu.edu 

Lisa Bernasconi
M.A., San José State University
lisa.bernasconi@sjsu.edu

Ethics, Political Philosophy, Metaphysics

Javier Cardoza-Kon
M.A. (Great Books), St. John's College
Ph.D., University of California-Santa Cruz
javier.cardoza-kon@sjsu.edu

20th Century Continental/ European philosophy.Technology and politics, deconstruction, Indigenous Science and Native American Philosophy. 

Andrew Delunas
M.A. Philosophy, University of Missouri at St. Louis
andrew.delunas@sjsu.edu

Early Modern Philosophy (especially Hume), pragmatism, consciousness

Janet Giddings
M.A. Philosophy, San José State University
M.A. Theology, University of San Francisco

Philosophy of Religion, Ethics, Ethics, and Gambling

Trevor Gullion
M.A. Philosophy, San José State University
trevor.gullion@sjsu.edu 

Kyle Hertsch
M.A. Philosophy, San José State University
kyle.hertsch@sjsu.edu

Tim Johnston
Ph.D., Stony Brook University
timothy.johnston@sjsu.edu 

Philosophy and Aging, Feminist and Queer Theory, 20th Century French Philosophy, Care Ethics

Michael Jordan
M.A., San José State University
Michael.Jordan@sjsu.edu 

Ethics, Phenomenology, and Existentialism

Deena Lin
Ph.D., Claremont Graduate University
deena.lin@sjsu.edu

Philosophy of Religion, Comparative Religion, Poststructuralist Philosophy, Feminist Philosophy

Harlan McGhan
M.A. Philosophy, Princeton University
harlan.mcghan@sjsu.edu

History and Logic of Science, Epistemology, Ethics

David McReynolds
M.A. Philosophy, San José State University
David.McReynolds@sjsu.edu

Nathan Osborne
M.A., San José State University
Nathan.Osborne@sjsu.edu 

Existentialism and Critical Theory

Krupa Patel
Ph.D., University of New Mexico
krupa.patel@sjsu.edu

Epistemology (esp. perception)

George J. Pinto
M.A., London School of Economics
M.A., San Jose State University
Certified Public Accountant (CPA)
george.pinto@sjsu.edu

Business and Professional Ethics

Iman Roohnavaz
M.A. Philosophy, San Francisco State University
M.A. Philosophy, Shahid Beheshti University (Tehran, Iran)
Iman.Roohnavaz@sjsu.edu

By era: Ancient Greek Philosophy, Contemporary Continental Philosophy, and Islamic Philosophy

By topic: Ethics, Political Philosophy, and Aesthetics

Casey Smith
M.A., San José State University
casey.smith@sjsu.edu

Philosophy of Expertise, Experimental Philosophy, Philosophy of Mind, Epistemology, Philosophy of Religion, and Logic

Elizabeth Sonnier
Ph.D., Fordham, New York City's Jesuit University
elizabeth.sonnier@sjsu.edu

Philosophy of Science, Process Philosophy, Logic, and French Phenomenology and Existentialism

John C. Wilhelmsson
M.A., San José State University
john.wilhelmsson@sjsu.edu 

Ethics, Phenomenology, and Edith Stein

Kyle Yrigoyen
M.A., San José State University
kyle.yrigoyen@sjsu.edu

Philosophy of Technology, General Philosophy of Science, Ethics

Emeritus Faculty 

Paul Bashaw

Arthur Cody

S. D. Noam Cook

Phil Davis

Amnon Goldworth

Peter J. Hadreas

Peter Koestenbaum

Thomas W. Leddy

Jim Lindahl

Tommy L. Lott

Rita C. Manning

 Chánh Phan

William H. Shaw

Joe Waterhouse

In Memoriam

• Carolyn Black (1936-2010)
• Jarrett Brock (1936-2016)
• Lucius R. Eastman (1937-2011)
• Doug Henslee (1948-2010)
• Ruth Manor (1944-2005)
• Mike Newkirk (d. 2008)
• Barbara Scholz (1947-2011)
• Richard Tieszen (1951-2017)
• Dan C. Williamson (1950-2023)