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Bernardo Joaquin Canteñs, Ph.D.

​

Bernardo Joaquin Canteñs, Ph.D.

Executive Vice President of Academic Affairs and Provost

Sul Ross State University

Part of the Texas State University System

(570) 730-3570

Berniecantens1@gmail.com

​

I. EDUCATION  

Ph.D. in Philosophy, MA in Philosophy, and BA in Philosophy

      1999     Ph.D., M.A., Philosophy, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL.

                         Dissertation: Suárez (1548-1617) and Meinong (1853-1920) on Beings of

                          Reason and Non-existent Objects.                      

       1993     B.A. Philosophy, Florida International University, Miami, FL.

                          Graduating with Honors Cum Laude

                         Award for Outstanding Academic Achievement in Philosophy and Religious Study

MA and BA in Accounting, Certified Public Accountant (CPA)

      1988-1993  M.A. Accounting, School of Business, Florida International University, Miami, FL.

      1983-1987   B.A. Accounting, School of Business, Florida International University, Miami, FL.

Quality Matters Master Reviewer Certification (MRC)   

      The MRC is an advanced certification course for experienced QM Peer Reviewers. The role of the QM Master

      Reviewer is integral to ensuring the rigor and consistency of the peer-review process. In this course, Peer

      Reviewers learn the role of Master Reviewers, including management of the entire review process and coaching

      peers to ensure helpful recommendations are provided for course improvements.

 Becoming a Provost Academy (BAPA) 

      BAPA is a leadership program tailored to the distinctive needs of aspiring provosts (chief academic officers). Co-

      sponsored by the American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU) and the American Academic     

      Leadership Institute (AALI), this yearlong program provides comprehensive preparation in the areas of most

      critical concern to provosts. BAPA also helps participants gain a better understanding of the broader context within

      which their own institutions operate and develop perspectives beyond their current position, division, and

      institution. 

 

II. EMPLOYMENT 

 Current Position

Sul Ross State University (January 2022-Present)

  • Executive Vice President, Provost, and Chief Academic Officer         

 Previous Position

Moravian University (2008-2021)

  • 2019-2021 Associate Provost for Global Education and Online Innovation 

  • 2008-2019 Chair of Philosophy Department

Barry University (2000-2008)

  • Professor of Philosophy

The University of Miami (1994-1999)

  • Graduate Assistant

 

III. ADMINISTRATIVE EXPERIENCE

Sul Ross State University (SRSU) is a Hispanic-serving institution and comprehensive regional university in the Texas State University System. SRSU offers 60 undergraduate programs and 25 graduate degrees. We have five colleges, 17 departments, and four campuses in Alpine, Eagle Pass, Del Rio, and Uvalde.  We have 178 faculty members (91 tenured/ tenure track and 87 non-tenured) and over 400 employees.

➔Executive Vice President of Academic Affairs and Provost (1/1/2022-Present)

As the Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost, I am the institution's chief academic officer and the spokesperson for academic affairs. I oversee the University's educational activities, curriculum development, student success, institutional research, assessment,  library, centers and institutes, and faculty recruitment, promotion, and tenure.

Direct Reports

  • Campus Works Enterprise Services

  • The Office of the Registrar

  • The Office of Institutional Effectiveness

  • Dean of Research and Sponsored Programs (Over $50 million in active grants)

    • Director of Title III Grant $5 million

    • Director of Title V Grant $3 million

    • Director of Upward Bound-Grant

    • Director of Talent Search Grant

    • Director of McNair Program –Grant

    • Director of Gear up-Grant

  • Director of Wildenthal Memorial Library

  • Associate Provost for Research and Development

    • Director of the Borderland Research Institute

    • Director of Center for Big Bend Studies

    • Rio Grande Research Center

  • Blackboard Administrator

  • Coordinator of International Studies

  • Dean of the Jimmy D. Case College of Literature, Arts and Social Sciences

  • Dean of the College of Education and Professional Studies

  • Dean of the College of Agriculture, Life & Physical Sciences

    • Assistant Dean of the School of Health Sciences

  • Dean of College of Graduate Studies

  • Dean of the Rio Grande College of Business

  • Dean of Rio Grande College of Humanities and Arts

  • Dean of Online and Distance Education Programs

  • Assistant Dean of Student Success

Selected Administrative Initiatives and Accomplishments

All initiatives and accomplishments below have resulted from the collaborative effort of many faculty and staff. In complex organizations like ours, success comes from the synergy created by working together and cohesively toward the same, shared goals. We are fortunate to be surrounded by excellent and motivated faculty and staff. 

Vision and Leadership

  • Completed the SRSU new 2022-2027 Strategic Plan (The Time is Now).

  • Developing our SACSCOC fifth-year report, due in 2024.

  • Developing a comprehensive Academic Master Plan.

  • Revised the tenure and promotion process.

  • Revised substantively essential sections of the faculty handbook.

  • Provided a new forward-thinking vision for online teaching and learning.

  • Provided a new forward-thinking vision for curricular development.

  • Created a new faculty onboarding process.

Faculty Morale and Institutional Culture

  • Committed to AAUP principles on transparency, faculty governance, and academic freedom.

  • Created a Provost’s Vision (https://www.sulross.edu/academic-affairs/) that includes commitment to the following:  model ethical behavior; create transparency of information, processes, and decision-making; advance and protect academic freedom; practice and endorse shared governance; pursue excellence in curriculum development, teaching, and research; create an inclusive community in which every voice counts; support respectful and civil engagement; advance diversity, equity, and inclusion; establish fair academic policies and implement them consistently; create a culture of trust among members of the institution.

  • Developed a comprehensive faculty salary and work plan to ensure competitive salaries and to enhance faculty quality of life and work-life balance.

  • Enhanced communications by creating monthly all-faculty meetings. Social events follow the first and last faculty meetings.

  • Digitalized all the tenure and promotion processes using Interfolio

  • Created the Outstanding Faculty Scholars Award.

  • Created the Outstanding Faculty Service Award.

  • Presented the Faculty Presidential Award that recognizes lifetime achievements in 2023.

  • Created a Research Forum.

  • Created a faculty recognition ceremony annual event where we celebrate faculty accomplishments.

Enrollment Initiatives and Accomplishments

  • Created a new marketing campaign with 4A Media to increase enrollment in our online graduate programs and continuing studies.  Our webpage went from having 1,600 visitors to 17,000 visitors.

  • Created a “Data Team” of staff from marketing, enrollment, financial aid, web services, IT, and other departments that can help track the effectiveness of our a4 marketing investment. We aim to promote and highlight the visibility of new graduate online degrees and certificate programs. We strive to lead online innovation, providing students with excellent online asynchronous courses and increasing access to post-baccalaureate and non-traditional undergraduate-level adult learners.

  • Created a new comprehensive marketing campaign with World Design Marketing to recruit more traditional residential students.

  • Working with enrollment management and the university communications department on a new branding and marketing campaign for undergraduate programs.

Enrollment Results

  • Increased fall 2023 enrollment in our main campus by 7%. This is the first enrollment increase in the past eight years.

  • Increased online graduate enrollment by more than 20%.

  • Hispanic students enrolled in master’s degree programs increased by 38%.

  • Increased spring 2024 enrollment by over 25%. Much of this increase is due to online dual enrollment students.

Retention and Student Success

  • We created a new position, Assistant Dean of Student Success (Chief Retention Officer), to oversee all retention strategies.

  • Created an innovative incentive-based Faculty Mentoring Program. The first iteration in the spring of 2023 included 13 faculty and 75 students. Our goal for the new year is 25 faculty and 150 students. The second iteration in the fall of 2023 included 23 faculty and 158 students.

  • Revamped our first-year seminar to make it more student-centric.

  • Created academic retention administrators (ARA) positions for every department on campus. (This position replaced the traditional administrative assistant.)

  • Created a peer mentoring program. The peer mentors work with the faculty mentors, FYS instructors, and the ARA.

  • We created a University Leadership Program that lasts all four years of a student’s experience.

  • Created a comprehensive internship program on campus to ensure that all our students stay actively engaged, continue learning soft skills, and earn a wage.

  • We digitalized the bookstore using equity access with Akedemos.

  • Transformed our advising office, Lobo Den, to be more responsive to the needs of our students and to work more collaboratively with our faculty.

Retention Results

  • First-year retention rate increased from 49% to 57%, the highest in the last 7 years.

  • Our goal is 70%, the highest retention in the institution’s history.

Online Teaching and Learning

  • Created a new Online Division of the University.

  • Created the position of assistant dean for online programs and distance education to consolidate all our online graduate programs.

  • Created the position of director of online teaching and learning to oversee the adoption of Quality Matters in all our online courses.

  • Over 60% of our faculty are trained in Quality Matters.
    Results in Online Teaching and Learning

  • In 2023, OnlineMastersDegrees.org ranked our Homeland Security and Political Science programs first in online learning in the U.S. Counseling was eighth, and Criminal Justice was ranked tenth. They are ranked by overall quality, affordability, and commitment to student success.

  • We expanded our dual enrollment market by creating the Texas Core Curriculum courses online. The project's focus was high-quality and consistent courses using Quality Matters standards. We created 16 new courses and will deliver 42 new sections in the spring of 2024 and 80 new sections in the fall of 2024. We expect a 40% increase in enrollment from dual credit students.

New Programs Developing the Curriculum

  • Working to develop market-driven programs in high demand and need for our region. We created new degrees in Forensic Science, Health Administration, Environmental Sciences, RN to BSN, and Accounting.

  • We developed new graduate certificate programs in Construction Management, Private Land Stewardship, Scientific Instrumentation Agriculture and Environmental Law and Policy, Field Study in Geology, Field Study in Anthropology, Data Informatics, Supply Chain Management, Interior Design and Construction, International Business, Marketing, Management, Health Administration, Instructional Coaching, Public Administration, Archival Research, Conflict Resolution, and Spanish for the Professions.

  • Worked with the Texas State University System to develop a 5-year plan to transform our offsite campuses in Uvalde, Del Rio, and Eagle Pass to become a branch campus and eventually a new independent university. As part of this effort, we have created a new Rio Grande College of Business and a College of Humanities and Science. The Rio Grande College of Business offers a BA in Business administration and an MBA. We will expand the new Rio Grande College of Business by developing degrees in Accounting, Finance, International Business, Information Science, and Management, giving students a much richer educational menu of opportunities. 

  • Created a new School of Health Sciences. The new School of Health Science consolidated our Departments of Kinesiology, Nursing, and our new Health Studies. This curricular reorganization will give Sul Ross the resources to grow its health-related degrees and provide new career opportunities in the health sciences for students.         

  • In my two years at Sul Ross, we have hired 23 new professors to reenergize our programs and departments.

Grants

  • Oversee 43 active projects under the direction of 29 project directors with an award amount of $51,747,021.

2020 6 grants for $11,379,510

  1. Assessing the sources of Pronghorn Restoration in the Trans-Pecos, Texas Parks, and Wildlife (2018-2025) $512,325.

  2. GEAR-Up Project ReACH, U.S. Department of Education (DOE) (2020-2025) $6,277,600.  

  3. TRIO Student Support Services, 5-yeara (2020-2022) U.S. DOE $1,375,525.

  4. Title V – The Frontier Student Experience (2020-2025) U.S. DOE $2,883,386.                                                  

  5. Partners for Habitat, (2020-2025) U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service $150,000.                    

  6. Restoring Marfa and Marathon Grassland Habitat for Wintering Migratory Birds (2020-2023) National Fish and Wildlife $180,674.

2021 8 grants for $ 11,725,943

  1. Fescue Rescue: A bi-national augmentation project (2021-2023) Texas Parks and Wildlife, $14,525.

  2. Museum of the Big Bend Capital Renovation (2021-2025) National Endowment for the Humanities $750,000.

  3. Advancing Chemistry. Improving Life (2021-2024) Welch Foundation $75,000.

  4. Noyce Scholars in La Frontera (2021-2026) National Science Foundation $1,333,429

  5. Mental Health Counseling Services in Southwest Texas (2021-2025) U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration (Via University of Texas-El Paso) $640,860

  6. TRIO Talent Search (2021-2026) DOE $1,395,200

  7. Title III, Part F Lobo Track to STEM Success (2021-2026) U.S. DOE $4,959,149                  

  8. Promoting Postbaccalaureate Opportunities for Hispanic Americans (PPOHA) Advancing Graduate programs in La Frontera (2021-2026) $2,557,780

2022 12 grants for $15,900,505

  1. Chiral Polyoxometalate (POM) (2022-2024) American Chemical Society $55,000

  2. Native Seeds Development and Outreach for Grassland Restoration (2022-2023) National Fish and Wildlife Foundation $61,771.

  3. Aoudad Impacts on Native Habitat (2022-2024) National Park Services $43,600

  4. Greater Big Bend Conservation Initiative (2022-2027) U.S. Department of Agriculture, Natural Resource Conservation Services $3,500,000.

  5. Evaluating Barrier Permeability and Highway Crossing Locations of Pronghorn (2022-2024 Texas Department of Education $86,020.

  6.   Building and Construction Trades: Electrician, Plumber & Building Inspector Certification Program (2022-2023) $36,583.

  7. Congressionally Funded Community Projects-Archeology, Anthropology, and Cultural Research Initiative (2022-2025) DOE $1,000,000.

  8. BAM 2.0: Investigating Density-Dependent Competition Among Desert Bighorn, Aoudad, and Mule Deer to Identify Achievable Management Targets (2022-2029)Texas Parks and Wildlife $2,154,086.

  9. TRIO Upward Bound (2022-2027) DOE $1,755,87

  10. TRIO Ronald E. McNair Postbaccalaureate Achievement Program (2022-2027) DOE $1,309,440.

  11. Title V Creating a Culture of Care )2022-2027) $2,990,971.

  12. PPOHA-Accelerating Opportunity and Access in West Texas (2022-2027) DOE $2,907,179.

2023 17 grants for $12,631,043

  1. Small Business Development Center -Alpine (2023-2025) U.S. Small Business Administration $240,079.

  2. Small Business Development Center -RGC (2023-2025) U.S. Small Business Administration $373,560.

  3. Implementing a Needs Assessment for Promoting Restorative and Integrative Mental Health (2023) American Psychological Association $10,000.

  4. Expanding Access and Increasing Capacity in Far West Texas (2023-2025) U.S. Department of Commerce, National Telecommunications, and Information Administration $2,770,417.

  5. SRSU Theatre Program (2023-2024) The Brown Foundation $25,000.

  6. Archives of the Bid Bend Digital Preservations (2023-2025) $5,160.

  7. Grassland Habitat for Pollinators under Different Mowing Regimes at Fort Davis National Historic Site 2023-2027) National Park Services $68,150.

  8. Assessing and Mitigating Potential Ecological Impact to Larger Mammals From Border Barrier Systems Construction and Installations in South Texas (2023-2027) U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services $850,406.

  9. Apache Corporation Grant (2023-2026) Apache Corporation $895,840.

  10. Developing a Reliable Monitoring Program for Recolonizing Black Bears in the Trans-Pecos (2023-2027) Fish and Wildlife Service $817,065.

  11. Nursing Innovation Grant (2023-2025) %157,094.

  12. Trans-Pecos Desert Grasslands and Riparian Conservation Initiative (2023-2027) U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service $2,812,800.

  13. Livestock Tanks for Migratory and Wintering Grassland Birds in the Trans-Pecos (2023-2026) $82,485.

  14. Lower Canyons Research (2023-2024) National Park Foundation $30,113.

  15. Trans-Pecos Grazing Lands Conversation Partnership: Enhancing Stewardship in an Arid Environment (2023-2025) U.S. Department of Agriculture, National Resources and Conservation Service $298,900.

  16. Preserving and providing access to the Texas Map Research Center (2023-2025) $200,000.

  17. Digital Transformation and Modernization in Far West Texas (2023-2028) DOE $2,993,974.

Grant Results

  • We have doubled our grant awards in the last two years to 29 grants compared to 14 grants in the previous two years.

  • We also have set a record of grant awards at $28,531,548 in the last two years for total active grants in the amount of $51,747,021.

➔Associate Provost of Global Education and Online Innovation (2019-2022)

Moravian became a university in 2021. It was a small liberal arts college that, in 2014, began to grow its graduate programs in education, business, nursing, health sciences, and rehabilitation sciences. They had 25 graduate programs when I left in 2021. The FTE is 1820 undergraduate students and 445 graduate students.  They had 139 full-time and 155 part-time faculty, offering over 55 undergraduate majors and minors.

As associate provost for online education and innovation, I oversaw all the university's online education, faculty professional development, and online program development. I reported to the Provost and the President's Council, and I worked collaboratively with the deans, chairs of the departments, and individual faculty members. I have been a central part of the leadership team throughout the academic planning. As associate provost of online education and innovation, one of my greatest challenges and greatest accomplishments was overseeing the university's transition from in-person to online teaching during the pandemic. Fortunately, I had an excellent team of instructional technologists and instructional designers. We were also fortunate to be an Apple institution, in which all of our students had an iPad and a Mac computer.

Selected Administrative Initiatives and Accomplishments

  • Manage the University's Office of Online Education and Innovation (OEI). The office has an office manager, two instructional designers, and two instructional technologists. We oversee all the University’s online professional development, online program initiatives, and online education standards.

  • Created a three-year plan and a new OEI budget that allocates online education resources for all full-time and part-time faculty.

  • Created a new budget for online education programs: MBA, Nursing, and Adult Education and Degree Completion.

  • Served as the principal spokesperson for the College on issues concerning online education in regional, national, and international forums, alumni, and outside agents.

  • Created an asynchronous online course for all faculty: Designing for Quality: Best Practices in Online Course Design. This is a comprehensive online training course based on Quality Matters Standards. The course facilitators are Moravian Faculty and Quality Matters Certified Peer Reviewers.

  • The course facilitators are Moravian Faculty and Quality Matters Certified Peer Reviewers.

  • Directed and worked with outside consultants, Extension Engine, on a $200,000 project to implement an educational program to overcome challenges created by the COVID-19 crisis.

  • Created extensive summer workshops to help faculty transition from in-person to online teaching.

  • During the summer of 2020, we had over 550 attendees at these workshops and more than 95% of our full-time faculty attended at least one workshop.

  • In an independent survey, 97% of our faculty felt ready to teach fully online at the start of the fall 2020 semester.

  • Worked to create a new partnership with Acadeum, an online consortium with thousands of online courses.

  • Created two new positions at the OEI department: executive director of online programs, senior instructional designer, and quality matters manager.

  • Hired a new instructional technologist.

  • Underwent intensive Quality Matters Professional Development:

    • Quality Matter Coordinator Workshop

    • Improving My Online Course Quality Matters Certification

    • Applying the QM Rubric Certification

    • Peer Reviewer Certification – (Official Quality Matters Certified Reviewer)

    • Master Reviewer Certification

    • Created extensive partnerships between faculty members and Quality Matters.

  • Created Moravian Quality Online Standards based on the Quality Matters Rubric. 

  • Work collaboratively with the Deans to implement and sustain quality online education throughout the campus.

  • Work collaboratively with the Chairs of the Departments of both schools to provide tailored Departmental Professional Development workshops.

  • Created a Sample Online Course platform where faculty can examine successfully designed Moravian online faculty courses.

  • Created a standard guide for online design for the college.

  • Created Apple Professional Development Seminars.

  • Created a comprehensive instructional resources site for faculty to continue to learn asynchronously how to teach online. Summer sessions were recorded and made available to faculty on this new resource site.

  • Collaborated with the Dean of Student Success to create a resource site for students learning online.

  • Created and embedded in all faculty Canvas sites Quality Matters General Standards 7 and 8 dealing with student technology support, academic support, institutional support, and accessibility.

➔Chair of the Philosophy Department (2008-2019)

As the chair of the philosophy department, I was charged with the responsibility of overseeing the philosophy curriculum, developing a vibrant, student-centered program, developing courses for the general education program, collaborating with interdisciplinary programs throughout the University, mentoring the philosophy faculty, and assuring the quality of teaching and scholarship of our instructors. We sustained a vibrant department of 20 to 30 undergraduate majors and minors. We offered a BA in philosophy, a minor in Philosophy, a minor in ethics, and a nan ethics certificate.

Selected Administrative Initiatives and Accomplishments

  • Faculty Development: Secured a new tenure track Assistant Professor position for 2022.

  • Conducted annual evaluations of all faculty.

  • Completed Dr. Carol Moeller’s four-year evaluation for a tenured professor.

  • Curriculum Development: In the fall of 2000, we revamped the philosophy curriculum to make it more relevant to our students. We created new stacked 200 and 300-level courses and a new Ethics Certificate Program.

    • From 2019 to 2020, I created and directed the Humanities for the Professions Program and Grant.

    • Since I became chair, we have gone from a 10-course curriculum to a 30-course curriculum.

    • We created interdisciplinary courses and partnerships with other departments and programs throughout the College, including Public Health, Environmental Studies, Women's Studies, Biology, Business, Nursing, Rehabilitation Sciences, History, Medieval Studies, Religious Studies, Art, Music, Education, Sociology, Pre-Law, Neuroscience, and the Peace and Justice Program.

    • We created a philosophy minor, an ethics minor, and a philosophy track for the adult and continuing education program

  • Co-Curricular Activities:

    • We created an undergraduate student philosophy conference (2010-present);

    • a debate team (2010-present);

    • a new chapter of Phi Sigma Tau (2010-present); and

    • a study abroad program to Spain: Cross-Cultural Philosophies: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam in Southern Spain (2010-present).
       

IV. MAJOR RESEARCH GRANTS IN THE HUMANITIES

2019-2020 Humanities for the Professions Grant ($15,000)

Generously funded by the Gladys Krieble Delmas Foundation, the Humanities for the Professions project is tasked with developing a model for creating interdisciplinary programs that embed an essential component of the humanities into professional curricula. Our model will focus on virtue ethics, an important part of classical Greek philosophy, and on three professional programs at Moravian College: Business and Economics, Nursing, and Rehabilitation Sciences. For more information, please visit our website.  Also, please see “Applied Humanities: A 21st Century Solution” in Academic Leader for Department Chair, Deans, and Provosts, which explains more about the purpose and goals of the grant.

2014-2016 CIC Consortium for Online Humanities Instruction Grant ($800,000)

Two faculty members and one administrator from Moravian College participated in this online consortium grant. A total of twenty-one colleges and universities participated. We met over two years, and each faculty member designed an upper-level online humanities course. I worked on Metaethics, a 300-level capstone course for the ethics degree. We offered the course twice over two years. During this time, the consortium met to discuss the best practices for online teaching. For more information about this grant, please visit “Collaborating to Add Upper-Level Humanities Courses.”

2014-2016 NEH Enduring Questions: What is Peace? ($32,256)

What is Peace?  On the surface, most undergraduate students probably feel confident in answering this question.  They may respond that peace is simply an absence of conflict or war or feeling content and tranquil.  With a moment of reflection, they realize that these superficial responses generate even more questions. How do we define peace? Why is there so much violence? Why are there wars? Are all acts of violence wrong? What does your vision of peace look like? The NEH Grant for the proposed course What is Peace? addresses these questions and introduces undergraduate students to the complex notion of peace through its historical origins, the evolution of meaning, and relation to second-ordered concepts.  The course critically guides students through a carefully selected core reading list that presents them with a pluralistic view of theories and practices of peace, diverse approaches to peace, and numerous perspectives and prospects for achieving peace.

2014      Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, Digital Pedagogy Course Development, 

               Moravian College. Individual Stipend: ($2,300)

2006      NEH Summer Seminar Negotiating Identities in Art, Literature, and Philosophy:

               Cuban Americans and Cuban Culture ($2,400) 

This grant focused on cultural, racial, and ethnic identity. We focused on Cuban American identity, examining and studying how cultural, geographical, and historical events influence identity. The Summer Seminar was held at the University of New York, Buffalo, NY. It was directed by Jorge J. E. Gracia, Lynette Bosch, and Isabel Alvarez-Borland. A product of this grant is the article "On the Metaphysics of Cultural Identity: A Darwinian Account" Latino Studies 7 (2) (2009): 167-196.

2005    NEH Faculty Research Award ($40,000)

The title of this project was “Peirce's Evolutionary Cosmology and the Naturalism vs. Theism Debate". This faculty Research Grant provided funds for my research on pragmatism and the philosophy of religion. A product of the investigations were the following publications: "Cognitive Faculties and Evolutionary Naturalism," American Catholic Philosophical Association Proceedings 80 (2006): 201-208; "Peirce on Science and Religion" International Journal for Philosophy of Religion 59 (2) (2006):  93-115; and "Ultimate Reality in the Philosophy of Charles Sanders Peirce: To Want to Learn the Truth" Ultimate Reality and Meaning, 29 (4) (2006): 229-243.

 

V. AWARDS AND VISITING FELLOW

2005           Visiting Fellow, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA. (Charles Sanders Peirce

                      Archives)

2004           American Philosophical Association Prize in Latin American Thought

The paper's title was “Francisco De Vitoria's Just War/Intervention Theory. “It was delivered in a symposium at the American Philosophical Association Eastern Division in Boston, MA, on December 27-30, 2004.  “The APA Committee on Hispanics sponsors the annual Essay Prize in Latin American Thought, awarded to the author of the best unpublished, English-language, philosophical essay in Latin American thought. The purpose of this prize is to encourage fruitful work in Latin American thought. Eligible essays must contain original arguments and broach philosophical topics related to the experiences of Hispanic Americans and Latinos/as. The winning essay will be published in the APA Newsletter on Hispanic/Latino Issues in Philosophy.  

 2003          American Philosophical Association William James Prize

The paper’s title was “Overcoming the Evidentialist's Challenge: Peirce's Conjectures of Instinctive Reason and the Reality of God." The symposium paper was delivered at the American Philosophical Association Eastern Division in Washington, DC on December 27-30, 2003.“The Eastern Division awards the William James Prize to the best paper in the area of American philosophy that is both (a) written by a philosopher who received the Ph.D. within five years of the beginning of the calendar year in which the paper is submitted or is a graduate student, and (b) accepted for inclusion in the Eastern Division program by the program committee through the normal process of anonymous-reviewing.”

1994-1999  Graduate Research Assistantship, Department of Philosophy, University of Miami, Coral

                  Gables, Fl.
 

VI.  SELECTED SERVICE

Selected College Committees

  • Planning and Budget Committee, 2018-2020.

  • Employee Recognition Committee 2018-2021.

  • Online Task Force, Fall 2017

  • Cohen Lecture Committee, 2016

  • Elected member of the Dispute Resolution Group, 2016-2018

  • Chair, General Education Committee 2013-2016.

  • President’s Council Subcommittee: Leadership/Marketing/Communications Design Team, 2013.

  • Grievance Committee-Elected Member, 2014-2015.

  • Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC), 2009-2015.

  • Faculty Executive Council, 2010-2013.

  • Faculty Executive Council, Spring 2010.

  • Faculty Research and Development Committee, 2008-2009, 2009-2010.

Evaluation Committees

  • Chair of the evaluation committee for Dr. Khristina Haddad for full professor, Chair of Political Science, 2021-2022.

  • Chair of the periodic evaluation committee for Dr. Carol Moeller, Philosophy, 2020-2021.

  • Chair of the periodic evaluation committee for Dr. Naraghi, Philosophy, 2019-2020.

  • Member of the fifth-year review committee for Dr. Yayoi, Political Science, 2019-2020.

  • Member of the third-year mid-term review committee for Dr. Okpotor, Political Science, 2019-2020.

  • Chair of the periodic evaluation committee for Dr. Carol Moeller, Philosophy, 2018-2019.

  • Mentored Dr. Naraghi through the tenure process and promotion to Associate Professor.

  • Mentored Dr. Moeller through promotion to Associate Professor.

  • Co-Chair of the tenure and associate professor evaluation committee for Dr. Naraghi, Philosophy, 2014-2015.

  • Chair of the evaluation committee for Dr. Denton-Borhaug, Chair of Religion Department, 2013.

  • Member of the evaluation committee for tenure and promotion for Dr. Radine, Religion Department, 2013.

  • Co-Chair of the midterm evaluation committee for Dr. Naraghi, Philosophy, 2012.

  • Chair of the evaluation committee for Dr. Arash Naraghi, Philosophy, 2009-2010, 2010-2011, 2011-2012, 2012-2013, 2013-2014.

  • Chair of the evaluation committee for Dr. Moeller, Philosophy, 2008-2009, 2009-2010.

Search Committees

  • Vice-President for University Advancement, Sul Ross State University, 2023.

  • University Registrar, Sul Ross State University, 2022.

  • Vice-President for Institutional Advancement Search Committee, 2018-2019.

  • Marketing Assistant Professor Search Committee, Economics and Business Department, 2018-2019.

  • Accounting Assistant Professor Search Committee, Economics and Business Department, 2016-2017.

  • Dean for the School of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences Search Committee, 2016-2017.

  • Coordinator of Global Inclusion Search Committee, 2014-2015.

  • Vice-President of Enrollment Committee Search Committee, 2012-2013.

  • Vice-President for Institutional Advancement Search Committee, 2009-2010.

  • Philosophy and Religion Search Committee, 2008-2009.

 Student Organizations and Clubs

  • Faculty Advisor to the Philosophy Club, 2008-2011.

  • Founder of the Student Colloquium Series at Moravian College 2009-2021.

  • Co-founder of the Phi Sigma Tau Chapter at Moravian College, 2008.

  • Coach of the Moravian Debate Team, 2009-2015 (made it to quarterfinals 2012-2015 and to nationals in 2015).

Service in the Profession 

  • Treasurer of the Associates for Philosophy of Religion (2017-Present)

  • President of the Society for Philosophers of Religion, 2013-2014.

  • Vice-President of the Society for Philosophers of Religion, 2012-2013.

  • Editor of the APA Newsletter for Hispanic/Latino Philosophy, 2008-2013.

  • APA Committee on Hispanics, 2001-2004, and 2005-2008.

  • Elected to the Executive Council of the Society for Philosophers of Religion, 2008.

  • Elected Executive Council of the American Catholic Philosophical Association, 2007.       

Membership in the Profession

  • American Philosophical Association

  • Society for Philosophy of Religion

  • Society for the Advancement of American Philosophy

  • Society for Applied Ethics

Editorial Activities

  • Reviewer for the International Journal of Philosophy of Religion.

  • Reviewer for Florida Philosophical Association

  • Reviewer for Sophia

  • Reviewer for Transactions of the Charles S. Peirce Society

  • Reviewer for Notre Dame University Press

  • Reviewer for Fordham University Press

  • Reviewer for Choice

  • Editor of the APA Newsletter on Hispanic/Latino Issues in Philosophy (2008-2013)

External Reviews of Philosophy Departments and Faculty

  • External Reviewer of the Muhlenberg College Philosophy Department (Team Leader), 2014.

  • External Reviewer of East Stroudsburg University Philosophy Department, 2013.

  • Outside Reviewer for Oxford College of Emory University 3-year Review Process for Faculty Member in the Humanities

Community Service

  • Lion’s Club, Alpine Texas

  • Alpine Chamber of Commerce

  • Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of the Greater Lehigh Valley

  • Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of East Stroudsburg
     

VII. PUBLICATIONS AND SCHOLARSHIP

Areas of Scholarly Specialization and Competency

American Pragmatism, Hispanic/Latino/s Philosophy, Philosophy of Religion, Spanish Renaissance Philosophy, and Ethics (Virtue Ethics, Applied, Ethics of Abortion, and Meta-ethics)

 

As a scholar, my research in American philosophy, philosophy of religion, Hispanic-Latino/philosophy, medieval philosophy, and ethical studies has received international recognition. I was awarded the first American Philosophical Association Prize in Latin American Thought in 2004 and the American Philosophical Association William James Prize in 2005. I have received three external grants from the National Endowment for the Humanities to support my research and teaching. I edited the American Philosophical Association Newsletter on Hispanic/Latino Issues. Moreover, I have published over twenty articles on a wide range of philosophical topics in peer-reviewed journals and book chapters in prestigious publishers such as Oxford University Press, Cambridge University Press, Wiley-Blackwell Publishers, Cambridge Scholars, Brill Publishers, and Bloomsbury Publishers. Last year, I completed and published a book entitled A Critical Introduction to the Ethics of Abortion: Understanding the Moral Arguments. I’m currently working on two new manuscripts.

Books

  1. An Introduction to the Ethics of Abortion: Understanding the Moral Arguments. Bloomsbury Publishing, 2019.
     

 Works Edited

  1. The Ethics of Abortion: New Arguments and New Insights to Old Arguments, Guest Editor of Philosophies’ Open Access Journal Special Issue, forthcoming 2021.

  2. APA Newsletter on Hispanic/Latino Issues in Philosophy, Volume 12 (2) Spring 2013.

  3. APA Newsletter on Hispanic/Latino Issues in Philosophy, Volume 12 (1) Fall 2012.

  4. APA Newsletter on Hispanic/Latino Issues in Philosophy, Volume 11 (2) Spring 2012

  5. APA Newsletter on Hispanic/Latino Issues in Philosophy, Volume 11 (1) Fall 2011.

  6. APA Newsletter on Hispanic/Latino Issues in Philosophy, Volume 10 (2) Spring 2011

  7. APA Newsletter on Hispanic/Latino Issues in Philosophy, Volume 10 (1) Fall 2010.

  8. APA Newsletter on Hispanic/Latino Issues in Philosophy, Volume 9 (2) Spring 2010.

  9. APA Newsletter on Hispanic/Latino Issues in Philosophy: Special Issue on the Nomination of Sonia Sotomayor, Volume 9 (1) Fall 2009

  10. APA Newsletter on Hispanic/Latino Issues in Philosophy: Special Topic on Hispanic and         

          American Philosophy, Volume 8 (2) Spring 2009.

  11. APA Newsletter on Hispanic/Latino Issues in Philosophy: Special Topic on Immigration,  

          Volume 8 (1) Fall 2008.
 

Articles, Book Chapters, and Encyclopedia Entries

  1. “Meinong and Suárez on Beings of Reason” 2021.

  2. “Applied Humanities: A 21st Century Solution” in Academic Leader for Department Chairs, Deans and Provosts, September 15, 2019. https://www.academic-leader.com/topics/curriculum-planning/applied-humanities-a-21st-century-solution/

  3. “Philosophy, Law, and Mysticism in Renaissance Spain” in A Companion to Spanish Renaissance. Edited by Hilaire Kallendorf, Brill Publishing 2018.

  4. “What is Philosophy of Religion?” http://philosophyofreligion.org/?p=23862, 2014.

  5. “Suárez’s Argument for the Existence of God” Interpreting Suárez: Critical Essays. Edited by Daniel Schwartz, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2011.

  6. "Is Political Forgiveness Possible?" in Politics, Pluralism and Religion, Cambridge, England: Cambridge Scholars Press, 2010, 213-232.

  7. "Francisco de Vitoria and Bartolome de las Casas on the Rights of the American Indians" Blackwell Companion to Latin American Philosophy. Edited by Susana Nuccetelli, Ofelia Schutte, and Otavio Bueno. Malden, MA: Blackwell Publishing, 2010, 23-35.

  8. "Francisco Suárez." The History of Western Philosophy of Religion. Volume 3 Early Modern Philosophy. Edited by Graham Oppy and Nick Trakakis. Durham: Acumen Publishing Limited, 2009, 75-87.

  9. "On the Metaphysics of Cultural Identity: A Darwinian Account" Latino Studies 7 (2) (2009): 167-196.

  10. "Why Forgive: A Christian Response" Proceedings of the American Catholic Philosophical Association 82 (2008): 217-228

  11. "Dewey's Pragmatism and Social-Political Philosophy: Comments on Rosa Mayorga’s ‘Hispanic Philosophy, American Pragmatism, and Cuba’” APA Newsletter on Hispanic/Latino Issues: Special Topic on Hispanic and American Philosophy, Volume 7, Number 2, Spring 2009.

  12. "Comments on Jaime Nubiola's "Charles Peirce and the Hispanic World" APA Newsletter on Hispanic/Latino Issues: Special Topic on Hispanic and American Philosophy, Volume 7, Number 2, Spring 2009.

  13. "Forgiveness and its importance in Post-War Ethics" Journal of Religion, Disability and Health, 12 (3) (2008): 251-266.

  14. "Ultimate Reality in the Philosophy of Charles Sanders Peirce: To Want to Learn the Truth" Ultimate Reality and Meaning, 29 (4) (2006): 229-243.

  15. "Peirce on Science and Religion" International Journal for Philosophy of Religion 59 (2) (2006):  93-115.

  16. "Cognitive Faculties and Evolutionary Naturalism," American Catholic Philosophical Association Proceedings 80 (2006): 201-208.  

  17. "Francisco de Vitoria's Just Intervention Theory and the Iraq War" APA Newsletter on Hispanic/Latino Issues in Philosophy, Vol. 4 (2) Spring 2005, 1-8.

  18. "Overcoming the Evidentialist's Challenge: Peirce's Conjectures of Instinctive Reason and the Reality of God" Transactions of the Charles S. Peirce Society 40 (4) 2004: 771-786.

  19. "What kind of beings (entia) are beings of reason and what kind of being (esse) do they have? Suárez on beings of reason" American Catholic Philosophical Quarterly 77 (2003) 171-187.

  20. "Peirce and the Spontaneous Conjectures of Instinctive Reasoning" Proceedings of the American Catholic Philosophical Association 76 (2002) 89-101.

  21. "Ultimate Reality in the Metaphysics of Francisco Suárez." Ultimate Reality and Meaning Vol. 25 (2) (2002): 73-92.

  22. "A Solution to the Problem of Personal Identity in the Metaphysics of St. Thomas." American Catholic Philosophical Association Proceedings Vol. 75 (2001):  121-134.

  23. "The Relationship Between God and Essences and the Notion of Eternal Truths According to Francisco Suárez." The Modern Schoolman Philosophical Quarterly Vol. 71(2) (2000): 127-143.

  24. "Suárez y Descartes sobre la noción de verdades eternas y su relación con Dios" Sapientia Vol. 55 (2000): 25-36.  

  25. "The Interdependency Between Aquinas' Doctrine of Creation and The Principle of the Limitations of Act by Potency." American Catholic Philosophical Association Proceedings Vol. 74 (2000): 121-140.

Book Reviews

  1. Review of F. Thomas Burke, What Pragmatism Was for Choice, 2014.

  2. Review of Robert Schwartz, Rethinking Pragmatism: From William James to Contemporary Philosophy for Choice, 2013.

  3. Review of Jorge J. E. Gracia, Forging People: Race Ethnicity, and Nationality in Hispanic American and Latino/a Thought for Choice, 2012.

  4. Review of Alvin Plantinga and Michael Tooley, Knowledge of God for American Catholic Philosophical Quarterly 84(3) (2010): 644-7.

  5. Review of Annuario filosofíco: pragmatismo hispanico for Transactions of the Charles S. Peirce Society 44(4) (2008): 739-47.

  6. Review of Ward, Roger. Conversion in American Philosophy for Transactions of the Charles Sanders Peirce Society 42 (2005): 444-50.

  7. Review of Dekker, Eef. Middle Knowledge for American Catholic Philosophical Quarterly 78 (2004): 499-503.

  8. Review of Shanley, Brian J. O.P.  The Thomist Tradition for Theological Studies 64 (2003): 205-6.

  9. Review of Deely, John. What Distinguishes Human Understanding?  for The Review of Metaphysics 57 (2003): 145-8.

  10. Review of Flannery, Kevin, L. S.J. Acts Amid Precepts for Louvain Studies 28(2003): 384-93.  

  11. Review of Griffiths, Paul J. Problems of Religious Diversity. Exploring the Philosophy of Religion, for Theological Studies 63 June (2002): 435.
     

VIII. SELECTED PRESENTATIONS 

Academic Presentation (From the most recent)

  1. “A Critique of Don Marquis’s Deprivation View for the Moral Wrongness of Abortion” 13th Annual Rocky Mountain Ethics Congress, August 2020.

  2. “On Suarez’s Various Kinds of Distinctions” American Catholic Philosophical Association, Minneapolis, MN, November 2019.

  3. “On the Relativism of Religious Beliefs” Society for Philosophers of Religion, The Hilton Head, Hilton Head, South Carolina, March 1, 2019. (59)

  4. “A Challenge to Anthony Kenny’s Identity Anti-Abortion Argument” Society for Applied Ethics, Ariënslaan 1, 3573 PT Utrecht, Netherlands, June 29 to July 1, 2018.

  5. “A New Model for Religious Experience” Society for Philosophers of Religion, New Orleans, LA, March 1, 2018.

  6. “A Critique of Anthony Kenny’s Anti-Abortion Identity Argument” 2017 Eastern Pennsylvania Philosophical Association Conference at King’s College, Wilkes-Barre, PA, on November 1, 2018.

  7. “On the Nature of Religious Assent” Society for Philosophers of Religion at The Hilton Head, Hilton Head, South Carolina, March 1, 2017.

  8. “God and Created Persons: An Aristotelian Friendship Paradigm” Society for Philosophers of Religion, San Antonio, Texas, February 27, 2016

  9. A commentator on “The Doctrine of the Trinity Constitutes a Logical Contradiction or Mystery of Faith” Society for Philosophers of Religion at The Hilton Head, Hilton Head, South Carolina, February 27, 2015.

  10. “Losing My Religion: A Pragmatist’s Responses to Religious Identity Crises.” Presidential Address, Society for Philosophers of Religion. Charleston, SC, February 28, 2014.

  11. “Beyond Putting in the Time”, Moravian College Faculty, March 26, 2013

  12. “A New Argument from Divine Hiddenness: Reasonable Lost Belief” Eastern Pennsylvania Philosophical Association, Muhlenberg College, April 14, 2012.

  13. “A New Argument from Divine Hiddenness: Reasonable Lost Belief” Eastern Pennsylvania Philosophical Association, Muhlenberg College, April 14, 2012.

  14. “La Raza Cosmica,” Moravian College, Bethlehem PA, November 29, 2011

  15. “Philosophical Debate: On the Hiddenness of God” Moravian College Debate, Bethlehem, PA, November 10, 2011

  16. “What are the Philosophical Classics?” Friends of Reeves Library, Moravian College, Bethlehem, PA, October 18, 2011

  17. “A New Argument from Divine Hiddenness: Reasonable Lost Belief” was delivered to the Society for Philosophers of Religion at The Hilton Head, Hilton Head, South Carolina, on February 27, 2011.

  18. “Comments on “Peirce’s Metaphysics of Objective Idealism,” delivered to the American Philosophical Association (Eastern Meeting), Boston, MA, on December 29, 2010.

  19. “Comments on Bagley’s ‘Can God be Virtuous?’” delivered to the Society for Philosophers of Religion at Claremont Graduate University, Claremont, California, on February 2010.

  20. “Comments on Terrence Tilley's ‘Some Ontological Arguments,’” delivered to the Society for Philosophers of Religion at The Hilton Head, Hilton Head, South Carolina, on February 23, 2009.

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