Bio
Brian C. Barnett attended the University of Oklahoma
as a first-generation college student and McNair Scholar. After
graduating summa cum laude with a B.S. in Mathematics, B.A.
in Philosophy, and a minor in Religious Studies, he further pursued
Philosophy at the University of Rochester on a Dean’s Fellowship,
completing an M.A. and a Ph.D. under the direction of Richard Feldman,
Earl Conee, and Edward Wierenga. Brian is now Visiting Assistant Professor at St. John Fisher University and Lecturer at SUNY Geneseo. In 2022, he received the Dr. David Kuebel Part-Time Faculty Teaching Award at Fisher. In 2023, he received the Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Adjunct Teaching at Geneseo. His primary teaching and research
interests are in epistemology, logic, philosophy of nonviolence, ethics, and Buddhist
philosophy. Recent works include Introduction to Philosophy: Epistemology and Gandhi's Philosophy of Nonviolence: Essential Selections. In addition to teaching and research, he serves as the editor
of the Peace & Nonviolence category on PhilPapers.org, is a member on the McNair Advisory Board, and is a regular contributor to meetings of the American Philosophical Association and
Concerned Philosophers for Peace. Outside of academia, Brian enjoys
waterfall hiking, nature photography, the local Zen center, pilgrimages to historic sites, and live music.
Education
Ph.D. in Philosophy, University of Rochester, October 2016
- Dissertation: Higher-Order Evidence: Its Nature and Epistemic Significance
- Committee: Richard Feldman (advisor), Earl Conee, Edward Wierenga, H. Allen Orr (chair)
M.A. in Philosophy, University of Rochester, March 2011
B.A. in Philosophy (summa cum laude), University of Oklahoma, May 2007
- Honors thesis: "On the Emergence of Time from Space"
- Advisor: James Hawthorne
B.S. in Mathematics (with distinction), University of Oklahoma, May 2007
- Minor: Religious Studies
Supplemental trainings and certificates:
- Mental Health First Aid, National Council for Mental Wellbeing, September 2024
- Positive Peace Academy, Institute for Economics & Peace, Summer 2022
- Advancing Cultural Competency Certificate, SUNY Geneseo, Fall 2019
- Safe Zone Certification (for faculty allies), SUNY Geneseo, June 2018
- Introductory Core Workshop on Kingian Nonviolence Conflict Reconciliation (with Jonathan Lewis at the M. K. Gandhi Institute for Nonviolence), May 2014
- Advanced Workshop on Kingian Nonviolence Conflict Reconciliation (with Dr. Bernard Lafayette and Jonathan Lewis at the Rochester Institute of Technology), July-August 2014
- Carnegie Mellon Summer School in Logic & Formal Epistemology, June 2007
Areas of Specialization
- Epistemology
- Philosophy of Nonviolence
- Buddhist Philosophy
- Ethics
Areas of Competence
- Eastern Philosophy
- Philosophy of Religion
- Political Philosophy
- Logic & probability
Select Honors & Awards
- Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Adjunct Teaching (SUNY, 2022-23)
- Dr. David Kuebel Part-Time Faculty Teaching Award (St. John Fisher University, 2021-22)
- Outstanding Graduate Student Teacher of the Year Award (University of Rochester, 2009–10)
- Dean’s Fellowship (University of Rochester, 2007–12)
- McNair Scholar (University of Oklahoma, 2005–07)
Affiliations
- Concerned Philosophers for Peace (Spring 2017–Present)
- American Philosophical Association, Eastern Division (2004–Present)
