I am an assistant professor of psychology, and chair of the psychology and philosophy departments at Bethel College in North Newton, Kansas. I hold a bachelor's degree in psychology and certificate in neuroscience from Bethel College, and a Ph.D. in psychology and minor in statistics and social neuroscience from Indiana University, where I studied under Dr. John Kruschke. My research interests include moral cognition, legal decision-making, and the intersection of these domains, though I find that related methodological and philosophical problems routinely capture my interest too. Prior to graduate school, I spent 11 years as a commissioned law enforcement officer--locally for the Newton (Kansas) Police Department and federally for the Cyber Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

I love having conversations with thoughtful and articulate people, and I am committed to the idea that all opinions and beliefs—my own included—should be open to revision and alteration in light of new and accumulated evidence and superior reasoning. I often find myself occupying the role of benevolent contrarian, and I embrace it as a useful and balancing position; as John Stuart Mill noted, “the steady habit of correcting and completing one’s own opinion by collating it with those of others … is the only stable foundation for a just reliance on it.” More personally, and because I think that tying up too much of one's identity in any single domain can be unhealthy and unfulfilling, I like to engage in an abundance of hobbies that include acoustic guitar, brewing beer, roasting coffee, trying to out-cook my favorite restaurants, camping, hiking, kayaking, biking, hammocking, and a bunch of other stuff that I find fascinating. Like almost everyone, the time that I spend best and enjoy most is with the people that I love, and I am exceedingly fortunate in that regard. Thanks for stopping by, and I hope your visit increases the odds that our paths cross in real life.