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Kari L. Theurer
Associate Professor of Philosophy
Phone: (860) 297-2494 Office Location: McCook 314
Send e-mail to Kari L. Theurer
Trinity College faculty member since 2012
General ProfileTeachingResearchPublications/PresentationsHonors/Awards
Degrees:
Ph.D., Indiana Univ., Bloomington
M.A., Indiana Univ., Bloomington
B.S., Univ. of Cincinnati
B.A., Univ. of Cincinnati

Kari L. Theurer graduated from the University of Cincinnati in 2005 with a B.A. in philosophy and a B.S. in biology. She earned her Ph.D. in philosophy from Indiana University in 2012, with a minor in history and philosophy of science. Her research is at the intersection of philosophy of science and philosophy of mind, where she focuses primarily on issues surrounding explanation and reduction in the mind and brain sciences. Her current research can be divided into three projects. The first is dedicated to articulating and defending an account of mechanistic reduction in neuroscience. The second focuses on the nature of explanation in psychiatry. The third is concerned with the evolution of cognition and consciousness, and the ways in which biological facts about the brain should constrain theorizing in the philosophy of mind. She finds teaching philosophy valuable not only because philosophy is intrinsically interesting but also because it helps students acquire a skill set integral to success in most careers. Kari’s students learn to think on their feet, reason critically, write clearly, think imaginatively, and read actively.