NEWS
+++ New article forthcoming on moral roleplaying, codeswitching, and gamification of the moral space.
+++ New article forthcoming on original positions, decision theory, and moral theory. I make an argument for genuine interdisciplinary engagement.
+++ I was appointed to the Academy of Faculty Leadership at Virginia Tech in 2026 for having made a notable positive impact on the university.
+++ I am thrilled to share that I was awarded an Alexander von Humboldt Professorship in 2026.
A. PROFILE
I am an Alexander von Humboldt Professor and Chair of Philosophy, Politics, and Economics at Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf. I took up my current position after spending almost 25 years in the U.K. and the U.S.
I received my Ph.D. in Philosophy from the London School of Economics (LSE). At the LSE, I also obtained a M.Sc. in Philosophy of the Social Sciences, studied in the B.Sc. in Philosophy and Economics, and enjoyed the university’s renowned public lecture series.
I am an analytic philosopher. My core expertise lies in moral and political philosophy, social contract theory, and the interdisciplinary field of Philosophy, Politics, and Economics (PPE). Here is more information about my research.
During my academic career, I have been significantly involved in institution building at different universities and in the profession, with a focus on promoting PPE both as a field of study and as a field of research. Relatedly, I have assumed academic leadership roles with increasing responsibility.
B. PREVIOUS POSITIONS
From 2010 to 2026, I was a Professor of Philosophy, Politics, and Economics at Virginia Tech. I advanced from Assistant to Associate to Full Professor during the first ten years of my permanent appointment. In 2015, I founded and directed for more than a decade the PPE Program and the David H. Kellogg Center for Philosophy, Politics, and Economics at Virginia Tech.
At Virginia Tech, I was also an Affiliate Professor in the Department of Economics, the School of Public and International Affairs, and the +Policy Network housed in the Institute for Society, Culture, and Environment. In addition, I was a core faculty member of an interdisciplinary Ph.D. program in the humanities and social sciences.
C. VISITING POSITIONS
I held Visiting Professorships at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and its joint Program in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics with Duke University, as well as the University of Graz. In addition, I was a Faculty Fellow at the Parr Center for Ethics at UNC-Chapel Hill and a Visiting Research Professor at the Center for Ethics and Public Affairs at the Murphy Institute at Tulane University. Finally, I served as John Stuart Mill Visiting Chair of Social Philosophy in the Department of Philosophy at the University of Hamburg and as Visiting Research Professor at Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf.