Academics
My research is based in the European philosophical tradition developed by thinkers like Heidegger, Nietzsche, and Foucault. Building from these great minds, I explore a broad range of philosophical topics, from the ethics of technology to the depths of mental illness. I am especially interested how these topics intersect with Japanese and other Asian philosophical traditions of thought.
“The Photographed Earth: Ethics in a World Made of Images” Environmental Philosophy (Forthcoming, Fall 2025)
Photography no longer merely records nature; it co-creates it, binding us ethically to a porous frontier where representations and landscapes continuously shape one another. Grounded in Heidegger, post-phenomenology, and environmental ethics, this paper shows how social-media imagery turns natural places into hybrid spaces that guide design, identity, and expectation. Exposing the hermeneutic circle between seeing and building, it calls for a photographic ethic of “construction” that fosters ecologically attuned, aesthetically responsible ways of dwelling on a photographed Earth.
"A World Loved by Moonlight: Tragedy, Psychosis, and the Humanization of Art Literacy." Existential Analysis 35, no. 2 (July 2024).
This paper delves into often-unspoken realms of human suffering — tragedy and psychosis — to uncover the role that art can play in understanding and overcoming experiences that defy conventional language. Dovetailing from Heidegger’s aesthetics, I explore the unique qualities that make the artistic process such a powerful medium for existential restoration, connecting otherwise disparate individuals to the wider tapestry of humanity.
Publications
Awards
GSO Merit-based Award for Research ($5000) — 2025
Arthur Ordaz Award (Promising Research) ($250) — 2022
Presentations
“Toward an Ontology of Death in the 21st Century” SJSU Alumni Conference, 2025
“Heidegger, Art, and Humanity”Chiang Mai University (Thailand) – Guest Lecture, 2022
“Madness and Conspiracy: Silence’s Unintended Harms” SJSU Alumni Conference, 2023
“Seeing the World Through Instagram…” SJSU Alumni Conference, 2022
Teaching
Instructor
Phil 387: Meaning of War (2025 – Spring and Fall)
Phil 222: Existentialism (2025 – Summer)
Study Abroad (San Jose State University)
Hands on Thailand, funded teacher’s assistant (2024, 2023)
Graduate Assistant (UH Manoa)
Phil 111: Inductive Logic (Fall 2024)
(+many years as a TA at San José State University and Cal Poly San Luis Obispo)