Bryce Gessell

  • Assistant Professor of Philosophy

Education

  • Ph.D. in Philosophy, Duke University, 2019
  • M.A. in Philosophy, Tufts University, 2014
  • B.A. in Philosophy, Brigham Young University, 2011

With my background in science, I’ve spent many hours in scientific labs. Labs are the true heart of science: they’re where training, learning, mistakes, and breakthroughs happen, sometimes all in the same day. The classroom plays this role for philosophy, and I bring the lessons I’ve learned from the lab to my teaching. Students in my courses learn transferable skills, like text analysis and expository writing, by doing them.


Education

  • Ph.D. in Philosophy, Duke University, 2019
  • M.A. in Philosophy, Tufts University, 2014
  • B.A. in Philosophy, Brigham Young University, 2011

Courses

  • Core: Reason and the Self
  • Philosophy Major: History and Philosophy of Science; Minds, Brains, & Neuroscience

Teaching Positions & Professional Experience

  • Joined the Southern Virginia University faculty in 2019

Scholarship & Creative Work

  • The first-ever translation of French scientist Émilie du Châtelet’s “Essay on Optics” (link)
  • Articles on the brain, mind, and other topics in the philosophy of science (link)

Awards, Leadership & Service

  • President of Duke GradParents Group, 2018-2019
  • President of Duke Philosophy Graduate Student Association, 2016-2019
  • Fellow at the Kenan Institute for Ethics, 2018-2019