Curriculum Vitae (.pdf)

Office:                                                              Home: 
Department of Philosophy                                5241 Olgate Lane         
Purdue University                                             Columbus, OH 43220
100 N. University Street                                   Email: michaumi@yahoo.com
West Lafayette, IN 47907-2098
765 494-4276 (office)                                      
           
Education
2008     Ph.D., Philosophy and Literature, Purdue University (expected)
Dissertation: “The Face of the Neighbor: Self and Other in Kierkegaard and Levinas”
Committee: Dr. Martin J. B. Matuštík (director), Dr. Calvin O. Schrag, Dr. Sandor Goodhart
2003     M.A., Philosophy, Purdue University
2001     M.A., Political and Justice Studies, Governors State University
1999     B.A., Philosophy, Lewis University

Areas of Specialization
Nineteenth and twentieth century Continental philosophy, Ethics, and Social-Political philosophy

Areas of Competence
Feminist theory, Philosophy of religion, Critical race theory, Philosophy of culture, literature, and film

Dissertation Abstract
In The Face of the Neighbor: Self and Other in Kierkegaard and Levinas,I argue that Kierkegaard and Levinas are two important thinkers who perform existential-phenomenological analyses of the self and the Other, the neighbor. The focus will be on a critical comparison between the two thinkers, and I suggest that Kierkegaard’s and Levinas’s thoughts are quite compatible in a number of ways – and in this way they are mutually illuminating. While Kierkegaard and Levinas highlight their specific religious orientations as points of departure and potential divergence, I reconstruct their philosophical arguments to reconsider the convergence of ethical horizons between subjectivity and intersubjectivity.

Publications
Articles and Chapters

• “’Not Only an Alter Ego,’” Listening: Journal of Religion and Culture. Special edition on “Emmanuel Levinas and Modern Culture,” ed. David R. Fryer (Spring 2008).
• “Ethical Alterity and Asymmetrical Reciprocity: A Levinasian Reading of Works of Love,” Continental Philosophy Review (forthcoming).
• “Dussel’s Midrash on Levinas: Political Alterity and Analectics,” Shifting the Geography of Reason II: Gender, Science, and Religion. Proceedings of the 2nd Annual Meeting of the Caribbean Philosophical Association, eds. Marina P. Banchetti-Robino and Clevis R. Headley (London: Cambridge Scholars Press, under review).
• “A Discourse Ethics of Liberation? Dialectical and Analectical Transcendence in Habermas and Dussel,” Shifting the Geography of Reason: Proceedings of the 1st Annual Meeting of the Caribbean Philosophical Association, eds. Marina P. Banchetti-Robino and Clevis R. Headley (London: Cambridge Scholars Press, forthcoming).
• “Antigone’s Work(s) of Love,” New Antigone 1 (October 2005): 58-66; URL: http://www.newantigone.com.
• “Forgetting: Deconstructive Strategies in Light of Phenomenology,” Archē: Journal of Philosophy 4 (2005): 103-116.
• “The Ethical and Religious Revelation of the Akedah,” Minerva: An Internet Journal of Philosophy 9 (November 2005): 134-152; URL: http://www.ul.ie/~philos/index.html.  

Book Reviews

• Richard J. Bernstein, The Abuse of Evil: The Corruption of Politics and Religion since 9/11. Ethics 117:2 (January 2007): 335-338.
• Emmanuel Levinas, On Escape (De L’évasion). Other Voices: The (e)Journal of Cultural Criticism 2: 3 (January 2005); URL:  http://www.othervoices.org/2.3/mmichau/index.html.
• Several book reviews for CHOICE magazine (see “Service to the Profession”).

Works in Progress

• Guest editor of Listening: Journal of Religion and Culture. Special edition: The Ethics and Politics of Liberation: Essays on Enrique Dussel (Winter 2008).
• The Ethical and the Political: Levinas and Social-Political Theory. Co-edited with Sol J. Neely. Foreword by Bettina Bergo. Currently under review.
• Neither Victim Nor Survivor: Thinking toward a New Humanity. Author: Marilyn Nissim-Sabat. Co-edited with Carolyn M. Cusick. Forward by Lewis R. Gordon. Currently seeking a publisher.

                                                                                                          
Conference Papers Presented

• “’Without a Flag’: An Ethico-Political Critique of Liberalism via Emmanuel Levinas.” American Philosophical Association, Central Division. Chicago, IL, April 2007.
• “The Possibility of Love: Reflections on Marilyn Nissim-Sabat.” Fanon and the De-Colonization of Philosophy: Lewis University Philosophy Conference, February 2007.
• “Between Kierkegaard and Levinas: The Precarity of the Ethical Subject,” Rethinking Precarity, Department of Comparative Studies conference. The Ohio State University, January 2007.
• “’Without a Flag’: An Ethico-Political Critique of Liberalism via Emmanuel Levinas.” Seventh Biennial Meeting of the Radical Philosophy Association: “Reclaiming Democracy.” Creighton University, November 2006.
• “Antiblack Racism as a Sickness Unto Death.” Sixth Annual Phenomenology Roundtable. Temple University, June 2006.
• “’Morality without Institutions’: A Levinasian Critique of Cohen’s ‘Political Monotheism.’” Inaugural meeting of the North American Levinas Society. Purdue University, May 2006.
• “Love as Revelation and Revolution.” Philosophy and Literature Ph.D. Program Conference.  Purdue University, March 2006.
• “’Thinking as a Social Adventure’: Critical Race Theory in Gordon, Outlaw, and Davis.” Philosophy Born of Struggle XII – New School University, October 2005.
• “’Not Only an Alter Ego’”. Society for Phenomenology and the Human Sciences annual conference. Salt Lake City, UT, October 2005.
• “Dussel’s Midrash on Levinas: Political Alterity and Analectics.” Second Annual Caribbean Philosophical Association conference. Centro de Estudios Avanzados de Puerto Rico y el Caribe, San Juan, Puerto Rico, June 2005.
• “Levinas and Husserl, Face to Face.” Fifth Annual Phenomenology Roundtable. DePaul University, May 2005.
• “Dussel’s Midrash on Levinas: Political Alterity and Analectics.” Encounters with the Other: Philosophical Approaches to Intersubjectivity. Loyola University-Chicago, March 2005.
• “The Ethical and Religious Revelation of Abraham’s Akedah.” Department of Philosophy Graduate Student Colloquium. Purdue University, March 2005.
• “A Religious Critique of Sartre’s Ethics.” North American Sartre Society biennial meeting.  University of San Francisco, February 2005.
• “Unfixing Concepts: Fanon and Chow on the Colonized and Abject Female Body.” Theory and Cultural Studies Colloquium. Purdue University, October 2004.
• “Unraveling Fringes and Receding Horizons.” Midwest Pragmatist Study Group of the Society for the Advancement of American Philosophy. Northwestern University, September 2004.
• “Edith Stein’s Contribution to a Phenomenology of Ethical (Self-) Revelation.” Fourth Annual Phenomenology Roundtable. Purdue University, May 2004.
• “A Discourse Ethics of Liberation? Dialectical and Analectical Transcendence in Habermas and Dussel.” First Annual Caribbean Philosophical Association conference. University of the West Indies at Cave Hill, Barbados, May 2004.
• “Levinas and Kierkegaard: Judaism, Christianity, and an Ethics of Witnessing.” Philosophy and Literature Conference. Purdue University, February 2004.
• “Suspensions in Kierkegaard and Husserl.” Third Annual Phenomenology Roundtable. Brown University, July 2003.
• “Some Tasks and Troubles of a Habermasian Critical Theory of Race.” Theory and Cultural Studies Colloquium. Purdue University, March 2003.
• “Angela Y. Davis and the Relationship of Race and Gender to Frankfurt School Critical Theory.” African-American Philosophy and Culture Conference: Black Women’s Studies and the Academy. Purdue University, March 2003.
• “Fanon and a Radical Phenomenology of Responsibility.” Department of Philosophy Graduate Student Colloquium. Purdue University, February 2003.
• “Race and Critical Theory: Angela Davis.” Second Annual Phenomenology Roundtable. Respondent: Eduardo Mendieta (SUNY-Stony Brook). Brown University, June 2002.
• “Phenomenological Race Theory: An Autobiographical Narrative.” First Annual Phenomenology Roundtable. Brown University, June 2001.
• Co-presenter with Jack Weir (Morehead State University) on “Environmental Racism: Case-Based Reflections and Methodology.” Lewis University Philosophy Conference: Ethics and the Earth: Environmental Justice and the Philosophy of Nature, February 1998.

Other Conference Participation

• Session moderator: “Book session: Abolition Democracy.” Seventh Biennial Conference of the Radical Philosophy Association: “Reclaiming Democracy.” Creighton University, November 2006.
• Roundtable participant: “Emmanuel Levinas – ‘Useless Suffering’”. 25th Annual Greater Lafayette Holocaust Remembrance Conference: “Never Again? Genocide Around the World.” Purdue University, March 2006.
• Session moderator: “Citizenship in a Global World.” Philosophy and Literature Conference. Purdue University, March 2006.
• Lewis University Alumni Respondent to Richard S. Findler (Slippery Rock University): “Either Antigone or Abraham: Whom Should We Include on the A-List of the Good Life?” Faith, Reason, and Paradox: Kierkegaard and Religion. Lewis University Philosophy Conference, February 2006.
• Session moderator: “Kierkegaardian Encounters.” Loyola University Chicago Brennan Conference: Encounters with the Other: Philosophical Approaches to Intersubjectivity, March 2005.
• Session moderator: “Morality and Representation.” Philosophy Born of Struggle XI Conference. Rutgers University, October 2004.
• Session moderator: “Mysticism and Desire.” Philosophy and Literature Ph.D. Program Conference. Purdue University, February 2004.
• Session moderator: “Ethics and Action.” Thirteenth Biannual North American Sartre Society meeting. Purdue University, September 2003.
• Respondent to Lewis R. Gordon (Brown University): “Sartre in Africana Philosophy.” Sartre and Contemporary Existential Thought: Lewis University Philosophy Conference, February 2001.
• Session moderator: “Race in Latin American Philosophy.” Radical Philosophy Association Biannual Conference. Loyola University-Chicago, November 2000.
• Respondent to Patricia Huntington (Loyola University-Chicago): “Beyond the Colonial Contract: The EZLN’s Insurgent Imagination.” Latin American Liberation Thought: Educational and Activist Philosophies. Lewis University Philosophy Conference, February 1999.

Teaching Experience

2007-2008 Otterbein University (Westerville, OH): Adjunct Professor
Department of Religion and Philosophy

INST 250 Philosophy of Human Nature – Fall 2007-Spring 2008
RELG 300 Contemporary Religious Thought – Fall 2007
PHIL 220/320 Existentialism – Spring 2008

2007 Eastern Connecticut State University (Willimantic, CT): Adjunct Professor
Department of History, Political Science, Philosophy, and Geography

PHI 231: Modern Western Philosophy – Summer 2007

2007 Three Rivers Community College (Norwich, CT): Adjunct Professor
Department of Humanities

PHIL 111 Ethics – Summer 2007

2006-2007 The Ohio State University (Columbus, OH): Lecturer
Department of Philosophy

PHIL 307 Contemporary Continental Thought – Winter 2007
PHIL 305 History of Nineteenth Century Philosophy – Spring 2007

Department of Comparative Studies

CS 367.03 Religious Diversity in America – Fall 2006

2003-2006 University of Indianapolis: Adjunct Professor
Department of Philosophy and Religion

PHIL 101: Introduction to Philosophy – Spring 2006
PHIL 201: Ethics – Summer 2003, Spring 2004, Summer 2004, Spring 2005

2001-2006 Purdue University (West Lafayette, IN): Instructor
Department of Philosophy

PHIL 110: Introduction to Philosophy – Summer 2005
PHIL 225: Philosophy of Woman – Fall 2004-Spring 2005, Spring 2006
PHIL 331: Religions of the West – Spring 2002 (TA)

Department of English

ENGL 106: First Year Composition – Fall 2003-Spring 2004
ENGL 108: Advanced First Year Composition – Fall 2005-Spring 2006

Department of Communication

COM 114: Fundamentals of Speech Communication – Fall 2001, Fall 2002-Spring 2003
COM 204: Critical Perspectives on Communication – Spring 2003 (TA)

African American Studies and Research Center

IDIS 473/H Blacks in Hollywood Film – Fall 2001 (TA)

Awards and Honors
2006-2007 Purdue Research Foundation research grant
2006 Lewis University Philosophy Conference Alumni Respondent
2005 North American Sartre Society Graduate Travel Grant
1999 Lewis University LaSallian Commencement Speaker (Valedictorian)
1999 Lewis University Scholars Academy Diploma
1999 Department of Philosophy Award (Lewis University)
1998-1999 Harold E. White Endowed Fellowship (Lewis University)

Foreign Language Competencies
French and Spanish (reading)

Graduate Coursework (*Audited course **Reading group)
Purdue University
Nineteenth and Twentieth century Continental Philosophy
Hegel’s Philosophy of Right and Early Marx (William L. McBride)
Rereading Søren Kierkegaard I (Martin J.B. Matuštík)
Rereading Søren Kierkegaard II (Martin J.B. Matuštík)
Phenomenology (Daniel W. Smith)
Existentialism (William L. McBride)
Jean-Paul Sartre’s Being and Nothingness and Critique of Dialectical Reason (William L. McBride)*
Jürgen Habermas (Martin J.B. Matuštík)
The Dialectic of Enlightenment and Radical Evil (Martin J.B. Matuštík)
Deconstructionist and Postmodernist Philosophy (Daniel W. Smith)
The Philosophy of Michel Foucault (Daniel W. Smith)*
Structuralism and Poststructuralism in France: 1960 to 1980 (Sandor Goodhart)

Ethics and Social-Political Philosophy
Greek Ethical Thought (Patricia K. Curd)
Kant’s Ethics and Kantian Ethics (Patrick Kain)
Emmanuel Levinas in Literary, Philosophic, and Jewish Study (Sandor Goodhart)
Emmanuel Levinas I: Phenomenology (David Ross Fryer and Martin J.B. Matuštík)
Emmanuel Levinas II: Midrash and Literary Reading (Sandor Goodhart)
Emmanuel Levinas III: Midrash (Sandor Goodhart)
Advanced Philosophy of Religion (Jacqueline Mariña)
Race, Class, and Gender: Theory and Praxis (Leonard Harris and Richard Hogan)
Edith Stein, Simone Weil, and Hannah Arendt (Ann W. Astell and Tom Ryba)
Women Theorists Across Time and Boundaries (Berenice Carroll and Penny Weiss)
Contemporary Feminist Theory (Ruth Salvaggio)

Metaphysics and Epistemology
Continental Rationalism: Descartes, Spinoza, Leibniz (Jan A. Cover)
The Philosophy of Kant (Jacqueline Mariña)
20th Century Analytic Philosophy I (Rod Bertolet)
William James’s Philosophy of Radical Empiricism (Charlene Haddock Seigfried)
John Dewey: Experience and Nature (Charlene Haddock Seigfried)**

Literary Theory and Cultural Studies
Tragedy and Philosophy (Sandor Goodhart)
Biblical Reading: The Religious, the Philosophical, and the Literary (Sandor Goodhart)
Philosophy and Literary Theory: Habermas and Bakhtin (Patrocinio Schweickart)
Philosophy and Literary Theory: Derrida, Girard, and Levinas (Sandor Goodhart)*
Early Works of Kenneth Burke (Don Burks and Sandor Goodhart)

Composition Pedagogy
Teaching Introductory Composition I (Thomas Rickert and Colin Charlton)
Teaching Introductory Composition II (Thomas Rickert and Colin Charlton)

Governors State University
Political Theory
Comparative Political and Justice Studies (Larry Levinson)
Civil and Human Rights (Donald Culverson)
Theories and Approaches to Political & Justice Studies (Larry Levinson and Anthony Andrews)

American Politics
American Government and Policy (Theresa Barrios-Aulet)
American Urban History (Thomas Kelly)
The Presidency, Congress, and the Courts (Donald Culverson)
Comparative Urban Redevelopment (Donald Culverson)

Research Methods
Research Methods (Larry Levinson)
Independent Study: Graduate Thesis Proposal (Donald Culverson)
Internship: Leadership Council for Metropolitan Open Communities (Donald Culverson and Stephen Stern)
Graduate Thesis; advisors: Donald Culverson, Larry Levinson, and Frances Kostarelos

Lewis University
Phenomenology of Edmund Husserl (Marilyn Nissim-Sabat)

Service to the Profession

• Meeting coordinator for the second annual meeting of the North American Levinas Society (June 2007)
• Meeting coordinator for the inaugural meeting of the North American Levinas Society (May 2006)
• Cofounder and Executive Secretary of the North American Levinas Society (2005- )
• Regular reviewer for CHOICE magazine (2005- )
• Meeting coordinator for the 4th annual Phenomenology Roundtable (May 2004)
• Paid reviewer for Blackwell, Routledge, and Prentice Hall publishers (2004- )
• Webmaster of the Phenomenology Roundtable (2003-2006)
• Cofounder of the Phenomenology Roundtable (2000- )

Membership in Professional Organizations
American Academy of Religion                                      Society for the Advancement of American
American Philosophical Association                                   Philosophy
Caribbean Philosophical Association                               Society for Phenomenology and Existential 
North American Levinas Society                                       Philosophy
Phenomenology Roundtable                                           Society for Phenomenology and the Human
Radical Philosophy Association                                         Sciences

References
Dr. Martin J. B. Matuštík
Department of Philosophy
Purdue University
100 N. University Street
West Lafayette, IN 47907

Dr. Calvin O. Schrag
Department of Philosophy
Purdue University
100 N. University Street
West Lafayette, IN 47907

Dr. Sandor Goodhart
Department of English
Purdue University
500 Oval Drive
West Lafayette, IN 47907

Dr. Christopher Pincock
Department of Philosophy
Purdue University
100 N. University Street
West Lafayette, IN 47907

Dossier
Available upon request from:
Department of Philosophy
Purdue University
100 N. University Street
West Lafayette, IN 47907-2098