Dr. Tim Loughrist—2015 Graduate, Assistant Professor of Philosophy at the University of North Alabama
What sparked your interest in your major(s) or area(s) of study?
It was the only discipline that was attempting to answer, in a direct and clear fashion, the kinds of questions I was interested in: fundamental questions about right and wrong, about the nature of the world and our place in it.
What are the value(s) of your areas of study?
Philosophical study makes one's mind agile and subtle. Seemingly monolithic problems resolve into discrete, manageable parts under philosophical scrutiny. Regardless of what sorts of problems one ends up dealing with, philosophy provides tools to help.
How did you get to where you are now and how did your education help?
I completed my PhD at UNL in 2015 and spent a year working in student advising. I enjoyed that work and my background in philosophy was certainly an asset in helping students cope with difficult life-choices. But I wanted to be back in the classroom and I was lucky enough to find a position at the University of North Alabama. My education at UNL was instrumental in securing this position. UNA has a very small philosophy program, just me and one other professor. What they needed was someone who could teach a wide-range of courses. UNL trains philosophers to be departments unto themselves, able to teach in metaphysics or ethics, epistemology or logic, philosophy of mind or ancient philosophy. By hiring a UNL graduate, our program was able to greatly extend their course offerings.
