Placement Record
Openings for academic positions teaching philosophy at the college level are highly competitive. In recent years the ratio of potential candidates to available openings was as extreme as 8 to 1. This could equate to more than 2,000 candidates for fewer than 250 openings. The opposite is true about job openings in the professional field of Applied Ontology, where the ratio of potential candidates to available openings is estimated in the range of 1 to 8. This could equate to fewer than five candidates for dozens of job openings in this field.
The University at Buffalo Department of Philosophy boasts a good record of placing our PhD graduates in academic positions as well as professional positions. Of eighty-one PhD graduates from 2008-2024, thirty-nine are employed in tenure-track or equivalent positions at the college or university level, sixteen in other academic positions, and fourteen are employed in ontology-related positions in government, industry or research.
The Placement Record, since 2008, is contained in the chart below.
Placement Chart
Annual dates indicate the year of degree conferral. Placement details are updated to reflect changes in employment status. To the best of our knowledge, the information listed below is accurate as of Summer 2024. To update information on this page, please contact Barry Smith, via email.
Updated July 30, 2024
Year/Name | Dissertation Title | Advisor | Placement |
| 2025 | |||
| Dolun, Botan | Having Normative Practical Reasons | David Braun | Analyst, Cision Ltd. |
| 2024 | |||
| Luan, Scott | A Theory of Artifacts. An Essay on Artifactuality | Barry Smith | |
| Pfeuffer, Andrew | The Harmony of Faith and Reason in Kant's System of Critiques | James Lawler | |
| 2023 | |||
| Anderson, Alexander | The Problem of the External World in Malebranche | Lewis Powell | Crown Point Technologies, Columbia, MD |
| Spiliotakaras,Thanos | The Beautiful Form: Reconsidering Kant's Aesthetics | James Lawler | |
| 2022 | |||
| Merrell, Eric | The Ontology of Relevance | Barry Smith | Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Lab |
| Franda, Francesco | Social Kinds: A User’s Manual | Neil E. Williams | Postdoctoral Researcher, University of Neuchâtel, Switzerland |
| 2021 | |||
| Parmar, Harjeet | Memory, Speak! An Essay on the Computational Theory of Mind, Declarative Memory, and the Problem(s) of Relevance | Barry Smith | Senior Solutions Architect at Aleph One Consulting |
| Kelly, Daniel | Ordo Ab Chao: Kant and the Task of History Mediation | Lewis Powell | Assistant Director, UB Center for Educational Innovation |
| Kelly, Robert | Understanding Addiction | David Hershenov | Assistant Professor (Tenure Track) Bakersfield College, Bakersfield, CA |
| Murray, Justin | Stabilizing the Self: A Study of Personal Authenticity | Nicolas Bommarito | Instructor, Ashford University, Santa Maria CA |
| Sharaf, Ali | Buddhist and Islamic Ethics as Moral Phenomenology | James Lawler | Assistant Professor, Department of Philosophy, Kuwait University, Kuwait |
| 2020 | |||
| Hahn, David | Regarding Conspiracy Theories | James Beebe | Adjunct Professor of Philosophy, SUNY Geneseo, NY |
| Nomikos, Ariane Argyro | A Matter of Place | Carolyn Korsmeyer | Assistant Professor of Philosophy, West Virginia University |
| Donohue, Brian | Social Ontology and Social Normativity | Barry Smith | Ontologist, Capital One |
| 2019 | |||
| McAndrew, Stephen | Creating Social Solidarity In A Diverse World By Fostering Economic Relationships | Ryan Muldoon | Community Engagement Strategist, Institute for Humane Studies |
| Dowland, Stuart Clint | Embodied Minds and the Sparse Ontology: The Intersection of Personal Ontology and Composition | David Hershenov | Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences |
| Ray, Patrick | De Se Cognitive Attitudes and Their Ascriptions | David Braun | Ontologist, Allen Institute for Brain Science, Seattle, WA |
| Monaghan, Jake | A Theory of Consent | Ryan Muldoon | Assistant Professor, U of Southern California (USC) |
| Otte, J. Neil | Moral Psychology: An Ontological Approach | Barry Smith | Senior Ontologist, Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Lab |
| 2018 | |||
| Minemura, Yuichi | Metaphysical Analysis of Contemporary Brain Death Controversies | David Hershenov | From 2021: Postdoctoral Fellow at Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine; Full-time Lecturer, Tenure Track, Gunma Perth University. |
| Moran, Michael | Rethinking Aristotle’s Theory of Friendship in the Internet Age | Jorge Gracia | Consultant, Ag Thought Consulting, Santa Maria, CA |
| Houston, Jon | Going over the Dark Places: A Philosophical Model of Fitness Maximizing. Highly Interconnected Systems in Highly Dynamic Environments | Ryan Muldoon | Assistant Professor, St. John's University. From 2022: Research Analyst, Bell Bank. |
| Guzman-Orozco, Hector | On the Nature of Indexical Beliefs | David Braun | Ontologist, La Jolla Institute for Immunology; from 2022: tenure track position, Mt. San Jacinto College |
| Liu, Shih Yun | On Natural Kind Terms | John Kearns | Assistant Professor, Inner Mongolia University |
| Limbaugh, David | The Flexibility of Reality: An Essay on Modality, Representation, and Powers | Neil Williams | Senior Ontologist, Data Operations, National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency |
2017 |
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Newhouse, Deacon | Everyday Aesthetics: A Deweyan Ecological Perspective | Carolyn Korsmeyer | Lecturer, Texas State University |
Larsen, Rasmus Rosenberg | Pathologizing Evil: A Critique of Modern Psychopathy Research | Kah Kyung Cho | Assistant Professor, University of Toronto Mississauga |
Cline, Brendan | Valuing a Normatively Inert World | James Beebe | Assistant Professor of Business Ethics (tenure track), California State University Channel Islands |
Gifford, Michael | Exploring Realism and Truth | David Braun | Associate Teaching Professor, Arizona State University |
Gezella, Thomas | Education for Adults: Levinas and the Philosophy of Education | Richard Cohen | Medical School Applicant |
2016 |
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| Koch, Peter | A Theory of Patient Welfare | Barry Smith | Assistant Professor, Philosophy of Medicine, Villanova University, Villanova, PA |
| Choi, Dobin | Sentimentalist Virtue Theories of Mengzi and Hume | Jiyuan Yu | Assistant Professor, Kookmin University |
Sicienski, Shane William | The Syntax and Semantics of Names | David Braun | Founder, Designer, Engineer, |
Raehll, Meghan | Tool Use and Mind: Extended Selfing as Implied by the Extended Mind | James Beebe | Assistant Dean, Center for Teaching Excellence, Franklin University, Columbus, OH |
Krgovic, Jelena | Existential Psychoanalysis and the Nature of Mental Disorder: Between the Medical Model and Antipsychiatry | James Lawler | Researcher at Innovation Roundtable, Copenhagen, Denmark |
| Otto, Jessica Marie | What is the Appropriate Role of White Philosophers Who Study Race: Derrick Bell, Racial Capitalism and Why “I Live to Harass White Folks” | Richard Cohen | Assistant Professor of Instruction, University of Akron, OH |
Lavine, Matthew | A Contemporary Introduction to the Analytic/Synthetic Distinction, Chapter 1 of “A Theory of Analyticity | David Braun | Assistant Professor, Philosophy, SUNY Potsdam |
2015 |
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Sweeney Nolan, Catherine | The Metaphysics and Ethics of Vital Organ Donation | David Hershenov | Assistant Professor of Philosophy, Belmont Abbey College |
Donhauser, Justin | A Philosophy of Theoretical Ecology for Environmental Policy | Neil Williams and Kenneth Shockley | Teaching Assistant Professor (Deceased), Bowling Green State University |
Babcock, Shane | Towards an Essentialist Account of Modality | Neil Williams | Senior Ontologist |
Earle, Robert | Deep Intentional Environmental Value: Toward a Relational Theory | Kenneth Shockley | Wilson Fellow of Ethics and Assistant Professor, Department of Philosophy and World Religions, University of Northern Iowa |
2014 |
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Buckman, Christopher | Negative Beauty: Ugliness in Kant’s Theory of Taste | Carolyn Korsmeyer | Lecturer of Philosophy, Iniana University, Kokomo |
Duncan, William | The Ontology of Computational Artifacts | Barry Smith | Associate Professor, College of Medicine, University of Florida |
Hicks, Amanda | Ampliative Inference and the Principle of Sufficient Reason | Neil Williams | Senior Ontologist and Section Chief, Applied Physics Lab, Johns Hopkins University |
Rivera Berruz, Stephanie | The Quest for Recognition: The Case of Latin American Philosophy | Jorge J.E. Gracia | Assistant Professor of Philosophy, Marquette University, Milwaukee, WI |
Robinson, Juneko | The Body Politic: An Existential Ontology of Clothing, Conformity and the Politics of Self-Expression | Carolyn Korsmeyer | Immigration and Asylum Attorney, San Francisco, CA |
Sackris, David | Using Modal Terms Epistemically | David Braun | Assistant Professor, Philosophy Arapahoe Community College Littleton, CO |
Taylor, Adam | Four-Dimensionalism and Well-Being | David Hershenov | Lecturer (Full-Time), North Dakota State University, Fargo, ND |
Tremblay, Frédéric | Resemblance Realism: A Theory of Universals | Barry Smith | Visiting Lecturer, Sofia University, Bulgaria; Adjunct Researcher, Universite de Moncton |
2013 |
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Decker, Brock | A Place at the Table: Giving Gustatory Aesthetics its Due | Carolyn Korsmeyer | Executive Chef, Green Bay, WI |
Lafrenz, Mark | What is a Work of Art? Intentions, Definitions and the Ontology of Art | Carolyn Korsmeyer | Lecturer in Philosophy, Marquette University, Milwaukee, WI |
Potter, Joel | Recollective Pathe: Affectivity and Inquiry in Plato | Jiyuan Yu | Assistant Professor, University of Alaska, Anchorage, AL |
2012 |
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Compton, Elizabeth | A Dispositional Account of Aesthetic Properties | Neil Williams & Carolyn Korsmeyer | Adjunct Professor, U St Thomas, St Paul, Minn |
Flier, Leonard | Care and Flourishing: A Liberal Neo-Aristotelian Ethic of Care | Kenneth Shockley | Managing Director, Unchurch LLC |
Pryba, Russell | Art, Food and Other Cultural Entities: A Pragmatic Metaphysics | Carolyn Korsmeyer | Lecturer, University of Northern Arizona, Flagstaff, AZ |
Spencer, Mark | Thomistic Hylomorphism and the Phenomenology of Self-Sensing | Jorge J.E. Gracia | Associate Professor, University of St. Thomas, MN |
Ullman, Catherine | Cultivating Practical Wisdom in the Restoration of Cultural Artifacts | Randall Dipert | Principal Technology Architect, University at Buffalo |
2011 |
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Niswonger, Mark | Life at its Edges: A New Ontological Look at the Persistence Conditions for Organisms | Barry Smith | High School Teacher |
Palencik, Joseph | Noncognitive Affect: A Study of Mind and Emotion | Carolyn Korsmeyer | Assistant Professor, Indian River State College, Fort Pierce, FL |
2010 |
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Seo, Min-Gyu | From Critical Realism to Meta-Reality: Roy Bhaskar’s Philosophical Evolution from West to East | James Lawler | Assistant Professor, Chung-Ang University, Seoul, South Korea |
Hartnett, Ryan | The Essence of Causation | Neil Williams | Provost, Villa Maria College, Buffalo, NY |
Escobar Plagmann, Andrea | The Metaphysics of Dementia: The Intersection of Personal Identity and Clinical Ethics | David B. Hershenov | Instructor in Philosophy, Erie Community College, City Campus, Buffalo, NY |
Ott, Paul | The Politics of the Present: A Relational Theory of the Self as a Basis for Political Theory | Kah-Kyung Cho | Lecturer, Loyola University, Chicago, IL |
Chelstrom, Eric | Phenomenology and Subjectivity’s Relation to Others, a Phenomenological Contribution to Collective Intentionality | Kah-Kyung Cho | Associate Professor, St. Mary’s University, San Antonio, TX |
Halady, Steven | The Reality of Race; Against Racial Eliminativism | Jorge J. E. Gracia | Visiting Assistant Professor, Canisius College; and, Social Worker, Catholic Charities of Buffalo, Buffalo, NY |
Smith, Susan | The Hidden Assumption: The Conflation of Nature and Nurture in the Race Debate | Jorge J.E. Gracia | Senior Lecturer, HASS Inquiry Faculty Coordinator, Cognitive Science Dept, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute |
Ruhl Rapaport, Elisa | Emotion by Proxy: Some Ethical Considerations in the Designation of a Health Care Power of Attorney | Carolyn Korsmeyer | Associate Professor and Chair, Molloy College, Long Island, NY |
2009 |
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Spear, Andrew | Not by Experience Alone: Toward a Theory of a Priori Justification | James Beebe | Associate Professor, Grand Valley State University, MI |
Rosen Velasquez, Ernesto | The Metaphysics of Latino Identity and its Social and Political Implications | Jorge J.E. Gracia | Associate Professor, University of Dayton, OH |
Zeccardi, Joseph | Arate and Taste: Towards a Virtue-Theoretic Aesthetics | Carolyn Korsmeyer | Director, Center for Writing Across the Curriculum, St. Mary’s College, Oakland, CA |
Duffy, Leigh | Modal Illusions: Making Sense of the Necessary A Posteriori | James Beebe | Assistant Professor, Buffalo State College, Buffalo, NY |
Silber-Sweeney, Laurel | Interfacing Ethics: The Ethical Relation from Kant to Derrida | Kah-Kyung Cho |
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Novotný, Daniel | Beings of Reason: A Study in Scholasticism of the Baroque Era | Jorge J. E. Gracia | Assistant Professor and Vice Dean, Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies, University of South Bohemia, Czech Republic |
Jang, Misung | Aristotle’s Doctrine of the Mean | Jiyuan Yu | Assistant Professor, Soongsil University Department of Philosophy, Korea |
Chen, Shi | Practical Necessity in Bernard Williams’s Virtue Ethics | James Lawler | Instructor, Dawson College, Montreal, Quebec, Canada |
Arima, Hitoshi | Observation, Explanation, and Intuition – Two Arguments | Randall Dipert | Professor of Moral Philosophy, Yokohama City University Graduate School, Japan |
2008 |
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Connolly, Timothy | This Moving Being: The Role of Change in Plato | Jiyuan Yu | Professor and Chair, Department of Philosophy, East Stroudsburg University, PA |
Petruzella, Gerol | External Goods from Socrates to the Stoics | Jiyuan Yu | Academic Technology Consultant at Williams College |
D’Onofrio, Sandro | Aquinas as Representationalist: The Ontology of the Species Intelligibilis | Jorge J. E. Gracia | Assistant Professor, Department of Humanities, and, Member, Riva-Agüero Institute of the PUCP |
| Symington, Paul | The Number and Identity of the Aristotelian Categories | Jorge J. E. Gracia | Dean, School of Theology & Philosophy, Professor of Philosophy, Franciscan University of Steubenville |