Education
PhD in Philosophy, University of Michigan
Subjects
Philosophy, Self-Discovery, Identity
Achievements
Graduated summa cum laude with honors in Philosophy from Whitman College (BA); recipient of Whitman College's Soper Prize for the most outstanding senior in Philosophy; Beinecke Scholarship; University of Michigan Rackham Merit Fellowship; award-winning teacher who has taught 8 courses at Michigan (2 as instructor of record and 6 as a discussion section instructor)
About
Gillian is an accomplished Philosophy PhD candidate at the University of Michigan, one of the top graduate programs in philosophy in the world. Her research focuses on philosophical questions relating to self-discovery and identity, and she is an award-winning teacher.
Discipline
Psychology & Social Sciences
Academic Achievements
Graduated summa cum laude with honors in Philosophy from Whitman College (BA), recipient of Whitman College's Soper prize for the "most outstanding" senior in Philosophy. Recipient of the Beinecke Scholarship, a highly competitive national scholarship intended to “encourage and enable highly motivated students to pursue opportunities available to them and to be courageous in the selection of a graduate course of study in the arts, humanities and social sciences.” Recipient of the University of Michigan's Rackham Merit Fellowship, which “recognizes entering students who have outstanding academic qualifications, show exceptional potential for scholarly success in their graduate program, and demonstrate promise for contributing to the wider academic, professional, or civic communities.” Recipient of a Rackham Predoctoral Fellowship Nomination, selected by the University of Michigan Philosophy department for “unusually creative, ambitious, and impactful” dissertation work. Recipient of the Dewey Prize and the Faculty Prize for Excellence in Teaching, both awarded for excellence in undergraduate teaching in Philosophy.
Teaching & Mentoring Experience
I have taught 8 courses at the University of Michigan -- 2 courses as the instructor of record and 6 as a discussion section instructor. As instructor of record, I designed lectures, created and facilitated lesson plans and activities, held weekly office hours, and designed, administered, and graded assignments for 20-25 students per semester. I met with students for at least 2 hours per week over the course of an 8- to 14-week semester. As discussion section instructor, I created and facilitated lesson plans and activities, held weekly office hours, and graded assignments for around 50 students per semester. I met with students for 1-2 hours per week over the course of a 14-week semester. Below I've listed the courses I have taught as instructor of record and as discussion section instructor. University of Michigan, as Instructor of Record: PHIL 387: Early Modern Feminist Philosophers, Fall 2023 PHIL 154: Science Fiction and Philosophy (Topic: Identity, Oppression, and Resistance), Spring 2022 University of Michigan, as Graduate Student Instructor: PHIL 289: Descartes to Kant (for Janum Sethi), Winter 2025 PHIL 356: Bioethics (for Sarah Buss), Fall 2024 PHIL 110: Introduction to Ethics (for Anna Edmonds), Winter 2021 PHIL 101: Introduction to Philosophy (for Maegan Fairchild), Fall 2020 PHIL 355: Contemporary Moral Problems (for Dan Lowe), Winter 2020 PHIL 356: Bioethics (for Sarah Buss), Fall 2019 I also have extensive additional teaching, consulting, and mentorship experience, described below. MLibrary Teaching Intern, University of Michigan Library, May-August 2025 Developed and taught interactive lessons on how to develop a research project for over 60 students in the Comprehensive Studies Summer Bridge Scholars Program (SBSP). SBSP is a 7-week program for incoming undergraduate students that bridges gaps in opportunity created by inequitable systems in education. Graduate Instructional Consultant, UM Center for Research on Learning & Teaching, May 2022-present Worked with instructors University-wide to provide constructive feedback and teaching guidance. Reviewed teaching statements, consulted on challenging classroom dynamics, communicated student feedback. Over the past 3 years, I have completed services with over 20 different clients. Practice Teaching Facilitator, UM Center for Research on Learning & Teaching, December 2023 Led collaborative sessions where new instructors delivered practice lessons to their peers as part of their new instructor training. Provided feedback on these practice lessons and guided new instructors on how to provide actionable feedback to each other. Graduate Student Mentor, University of Michigan Philosophy Department, 2021-2022 Co-facilitated orientation sessions for approximately 10 new graduate student instructors (GSIs) in Philosophy, developed and conducted multiple departmental pedagogy workshops, consulted with Philosophy GSIs about teaching practices and challenging classroom dynamics, and provided constructive feedback on Philosophy GSIs’ discussion sections. Michigan High School Ethics Bowl Coach, 2018-19 Prepared a team of 18-20 high school students to critically engage with complex ethical cases in a debate-style competition. Met with students for at least 1 hour per week over the course of approximately 16 weeks.
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