People of PPEL
Core Faculty

Kevin Vallier
- Position: Program Director & Associate Professor
- Phone: 419-372-7221
- Email: kvallie@bgsu.edu
- Address: 310 Shatzel Hall
Kevin Vallier is an Associate Professor of Philosophy at Bowling Green State University and Director of BGSU’s Program in Philosophy, Politics, Economics, and Law (PPEL). He has published over thirty articles in peer-reviewed journals and edited volumes. He is the author of Liberal Politics and Public Faith: Beyond Separation (Routledge, 2014) and Must Politics Be War? Restoring Our Trust in the Open Society (Oxford, 2019).

Michael Weber
- Position: Chair of the Philosophy Department & Associate Professor
- Phone: (419) 372-7209
- Email: meweber@bgsu.edu
- Address: 307 Shatzel Hall
Michael Weber is an Associate Professor of Philosophy at Bowling Green State University and Chair of the Department of Philosophy. His research focuses on rational choice theory, the role of emotions in ethics, and egalitarian theory. He is the co-editor of two forthcoming anthologies, Paternalism: Theory and Practice and Political Utopias: Promise or Peril?
Affiliated Graduate Students

Liz McPherson
- Phone: (419) 372-7985
- Email: eacker@bgsu.edu
- Address: 340 Shatzel Hall
Liz completed her M.A. in Philosophy at BGSU, and she is currently working towards a PhD. Before coming to BGSU, Liz received a B.S. in Animal Science from Cornell University. She also holds degrees in Equine Science and Veterinary Technology. Liz spent several years working in private veterinary practice before returning to academia. Her primary philosophical area of interest is animal ethics, but she also has interests in metaphysics and the philosophy of gender.

Aaron Thieme
- Phone: (419)372-6948
- Email: athieme@bgsu.edu
- Address: 320 Shatzel Hall
Aaron graduated from Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne in 2017 with a BA in philosophy, a BS in mathematics, and a BA in women's studies. He is primarily interested in ethics and moral epistemology. In particular much of his work has focused on the badness of death, the nature of harm, and evolutionary debunking arguments against moral realism. Outside of philosophy, he enjoys soccer, tennis, and chess.

Ian Irwin
- Phone: (419) 372-2110
- Email: icirwin@bgsu.edu
- Address: 330 Shatzel Hall
Ian studied philosophy and economics at Pepperdine University before arriving at BGSU. His main philosophical interests include accounts of political legitimacy and the justification of coercion. In his spare time, Ian does audio engineering and plays video games.
Updated: 10/03/2018 04:21PM