Ph.D. Placements
Placement Data for the UC Davis Doctoral Program in Philosophy
Since the year 2000, our Ph.D. program has taken in about four new students per year, and it has averaged about 25 Ph.D. students in total at any one time. Approximately 25 percent of our entering Ph.D. students have completed the program and received a tenure-track academic job offer within 10 years of entering the program. Of the remaining 75 percent, some transferred to other Ph.D. programs in philosophy, some left the field without completing the Ph.D., some completed the Ph.D. program at UC Davis and did not seek academic employment, and some found academic employment in non-tenure-track positions.
This is a comprehensive roster showing placement information for each of the graduates of the Department of Philosophy doctoral program, dating back to 1971, when we awarded our first Ph.D. The list is complete and accurate to the best of our knowledge, but we may be unaware of some recent developments. We welcome updates and corrections.
Key to abbreviations:
- VAP: Visiting assistant professor or non-tenure-track assistant professor
- P: Postdoc or other fellowship
- TT: Tenure-track or equivalent
- T: Tenure or equivalent
Any entry not marked with one of the above abbreviations is either a non-tenure track academic position (e.g., adjunct instructor) or a non-academic position.
| Name | Initial position(s) | Current position(s), if different from initial |
|---|---|---|
2025 | ||
| Natasha Maria Haddal | Lecturer, University of California, Merced | |
2024 | ||
| Khang Tôn | Non-academic employment (Director of Teaching from the South East Asian Center) | |
| Chanwoo Lee | Ajou University, South Korea (TT) | |
| Selçuk Kaan Tabakçı | Assistant Professor of Philosophy, Koç University (TT) | |
| Ramiel Tamras | Non-academic employment (Assistant Publisher, Oxford University Press) | |
2023 | ||
| Jordan Bell | Lecturer, Southern Methodist University, TX | |
| Patrick Skeels | Assistant Professor of Philosophy, Cosumnes River College, CA | Lecturer of Philosophy, University of Kentucky, KY |
| Danielle Williams | Mellon Postdoctoral Fellow, Washington University in St. Louis, MO (P) | Bersoff Faculty Fellow, NYU, NY Assistant Professor, Ohio State University, OH (TT) |
2022 | ||
| Max Parks | Enrolled in M.S. program in computer science and information systems, University of Michigan, Flint | Assistant Professor, Indian River State College, FL |
| Arieh Schwartz | Israel Academy of Sciences and Humanities (IASH) and Council for Higher Education (CHE) Excellence Fellowship for International Researchers, Ben-Gurion University, (P) | London School of Economics, (P) |
2021 | ||
| I-Sen Chen | Sichuan University, TT equivalent | Assistant Professor of Philosophy, Soochow University (TT) |
| Da Fan | Wuhan University, TT equivalent | Assistant Professor of Philosophy, Shandong University (TT) |
| Mandana Kamangar | Visiting Researcher, Stanford Center for the Study of Language and Information | |
2020 | ||
| Kyle Adams | Non-academic employment (freelance writing and editing) | |
| Tamar Schneider Zipory | The Cohn Institute for the History and Philosophy of Science and Ideas, Tel Aviv University, P | |
2019 | ||
| Rachel Boddy | Utrecht University, Lecturer (four years) | Postdoctoral Researcher, University of Paris I: Panthéon-Sorbonne, (P) |
| Tyrus Fisher | UC Davis | |
| Michael Diamond-Hunter | Birkbeck College, University of London, Associate Tutor (fixed term) | London School of Economics, LSE Fellow, (P) |
| Ceth Lightfield | ||
| Shawn Miller | UC Davis | |
| Joseph Morris | Pursuing degree in computer science | |
| Daniel Norton | Did not seek academic employment | |
| Elizabeth Rard | Reedley College, TT | Fresno City College, T |
| Jacob Velasquez | Cosumnes River College, TT | |
2018 | ||
| Timothy Houk | University of Texas Health Sciences Center at Houston, P (two years) | College of the Sequoias, TT |
2017 | ||
| Christopher Healow | Southern New Hampshire University, TT | |
| Edward Shear | University of Queensland, P (two years) | University of Colorado, Boulder, Teaching Assistant Professor |
2016 | ||
| W. Brandon Biggerstaff | UC Davis | Self-employed |
| Danilo Fraga Dantas | Universidade Federal da Bahia (Brazil) | Universidade Federal da Paraiba (Brazil), Associate Professor |
2015 | ||
| T. Scott Dixon | Ashoka University, India, TT; University of Hamburg, P (two years, concurrent with position at Ashoka University) | Lawrence University, TT |
2014 | ||
| Brian Coffey | Grand Valley State University, VAP | Eastern Michigan University, Lecturer (continuing) |
| Emily Barranco Earlenbaugh | Business owner | |
| Joshua Earlenbaugh | Business owner | |
| Johnnie R.R. Pedersen | Roskilde University, Denmark; University of Warwick, P | |
| Jared Poon | Senior Strategist, Singapore Civil Service | Assistant Director, Ministry of Culture, Community, and Youth (Singapore) |
| Sarah Roe | Southern Connecticut State University, TT | Southern Connecticut State University, T |
2013 | ||
| Bert Baumgaertner | University of Idaho, TT | University of Idaho, T |
| Christopher Buckels | Plato Centre, Trinity College, Dublin, P; University of the Pacific, VAP | Theology Teacher, Junipero Serra High School |
2012 | ||
| Vadim Keyser | California State University, Sacramento | California State University, Fresno, TT |
| Huaping Lu-Adler | Georgetown University, TT | Georgetown University, T |
2011 | ||
| Greg Damico | UC Davis | Bellevue Community College |
| Jonathan Dorsey | Texas Tech University, VAP | UC Davis |
| Lucas Halpin | California State University, Sacramento | Unknown |
| Nate Smith | Quality Assurance Engineer, Applied Security, Inc. | |
2010 | ||
| Gina Calderone | Houston Community College | Houston Community College, T |
| Nick Diehl | Sacramento City College | Sacramento City College, TT |
| Mike Trestman | University of Utah, P (one year); Indiana University, P (two years) | Unknown |
2009 | ||
| Dana Goswick | University of Melbourne, TT | University of Melbourne, T |
| Ian Spencer | Student, Graduate Theological Union | |
2008 | ||
| Brooke Roberts | University of Idaho, VAP (one year) | Attorney (declined TT offer, Idaho State University) |
2007 | ||
| Jim Blackmon | San Francisco State University | |
2006 | ||
| Christian Coons | Bowling Green State University, TT | Bowling Green State University, T |
| David Freelove | California State University, Sacramento | Unknown |
| Alexa Lee | Unknown | |
2005 | ||
| Matt Haber | University of Utah, TT | University of Utah, T |
2004 | ||
| Lynne Fox | California State University, Sacramento | |
2003 | ||
| David Byrd | UC Davis | Ernst & Young, San Francisco |
| Martin Roth | Drake University, TT | Drake University, T |
2002 | ||
| Todd Harris | UC Davis, Biochemistry PhD program | UC Davis, Biotechnology, P |
| Russ Payne | Bellevue Community College, TT | Bellevue Community College, T |
2001 | ||
| Patrick Findler | Kwantlen Polytechnic University, TT | Kwantlen Polytechnic University, T |
| Robert Scofield | Attorney | |
| Christina Waters | UC Santa Cruz (Lecturer in Art) | |
2000 | ||
| Sherry Deveaux | Stanford University, Continuing Studies | |
1999 | ||
| Judith Cross | California Polytechnic University, San Luis Obispo | |
| Richard Schubert | California State University, Sacramento | Cosumnes River College, T |
1998 | ||
| Elizabeth Forrester | Sacramento City College, TT | Sacramento City College, T |
1997 | ||
| Scott Merlino | California State University, Sacramento | |
| Robert Mutti | San Francisco State University | |
| Dave Nachmanoff | Professional Singer/Songwriter | |
| H. Mark Pressman | El Camino College | California State University, Northridge |
| Leslie Stapp | Cerritos College, TT | Cerritos College, T |
1996 | ||
| Nancy E. Schaffer | University of Nebraska-Omaha, TT | Novelist |
1995 | ||
| Jordi Cat | Indiana University, TT | Indiana University, T |
1994 | ||
| Leonard Olson | California State University, Fresno | |
1993 | ||
| Melinda Campbell | National University | |
| Bill Hirstein | Elmhurst College, TT | Elmhurst College, T |
| Marina Oshana | California State University, San Bernardino, TT; California State University, Sacramento, TT; Bowling Green State University, TT, then T; University of Florida, T; University of California, Davis, T | UC Davis, Emeritus |
1992 | ||
| David Lopez | American River College, TT | American River College, T |
1991 | ||
| Tony Roy | California State University, San Bernardino, TT | California State University, San Bernardino, T |
1988 | ||
| Jay Gallagher | California State University, Chico | Unknown |
1987 | ||
| Dirk Leben | Unknown | Deceased |
1985 | ||
| Katharina Dulckeit | Butler University, TT | Butler University, T |
1984 | ||
| Ted Gracyk | Minnesota State University, Moorhead, TT | Minnesota State University, Moorhead, T |
| Alistair Moles | Various colleges and universities | Sierra College |
| Tim Roche | University of Memphis, TT | University of Memphis, T |
1982 | ||
| Linda Bomstad | California Polytechnic University, San Luis Obispo, TT, then T | California Polytechnic University, San Luis Obispo, Emeritus |
1981 | ||
| Burke Hilden | Unknown | |
| Paula Hunter Manchester | Unknown | Business owner |
1979 | ||
| Jerry Mosley | Unknown | Attorney |
1978 | ||
| Stephen Hibbard | Unknown | University of Windsor, Psychology, T |
1977 | ||
| Bruce Russell | Wayne State University, TT | Wayne State University, T |
1974 | ||
| John King | Unknown | |
| Judy Williams | Unknown | |
1972 | ||
| Fred O'Toole | California Polytechnic University, San Luis Obispo, TT, then T | California Polytechnic University, San Luis Obispo, Emeritus |
1971 | ||
| George Gale | University of Missouri, Kansas City, TT | University of Missouri, Kansas City, T |