About Me

I am an Assistant Professor of Practice in the College of Information Science at the University of Arizona. My research lies at the intersection of computer science and philosophy. I am particularly interested in the nature of patterns—what it means for a pattern to be real, how patterns figure in scientific explanation, and what the success of machine learning reveals about the structure of the world.

I also have a strong teaching interest in the ethics of data science. For example, I created the course Data Ethics for the College of Information Science, which introduces advanced undergraduates and new graduate students to the ethical issues surrounding data science and information technology. I am also developing a new course for undergraduates on ethics and critical thinking in a world increasingly driven by online interactions and artificial intelligence.

Before joining the University of Arizona, I was a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Santa Fe Institute, where I worked on the project "Foundations of Intelligence in Natural and Artificial Systems" under Melanie Mitchell and Melanie Moses. I received my Ph.D. in Philosophy from the University of Arizona in 2021, my M.A. from Tufts University in 2014, and my B.A. from Ashland University in 2011.

Outside of philosophy, I enjoy taking pictures of space, building things, cooking foods from around the world, and watching terrible movies.