Brett was one of the teaching assistants for a large introductory ethics course I taught at UC Santa Cruz and it was immediately obvious that he was professional, flexible, and friendly, which is what you hope for in colleagues. Later Brett enrolled in the pedagogy course for graduate students, for which I was the co-instructor. As part of my duties I observed him in the classroom, and I was excited to provide feedback to help him grow as a teacher. My experiences with Brett were so positive that, when given the opportunity the following summer, I chose him as a teaching assistant for my introduction to philosophy course.
What Brett says about himself:
Outside of the classroom, I am a pretty avid musician. I was fortunate enough to play professionally when I was younger, touring and producing music on the company dime. After getting married, I opted for the academic life. Over the years, I've developed a deep love for travel--whenever and wherever my finances allow--and one of my absolute favorite things in life is to simply wander around a new environment, taking in all that I can. I am also a bit of an amateur home-brewer and I'm quite invested in the burgeoning craft-beer industry (having worked in it for some time as well).
Academically, I am interested in the history of western philosophy, from Aristotle to Wittgenstein. I very much enjoy existentialism and its precursors, as well as various postmodern thinkers. My current research is at the intersection of meta-ethics and aesthetics, exploring the prospect of adapting an ethical non-naturalistic position analogously to our determinations of beauty.
What Brett says about working with Amena:
Amena is a very favorable professor to work with. She was involved and concerned when she needed to be, but also respectful of individual pedagogical preferences. As I have recently really begun to appreciate, this is a very hard line to walk. It is difficult to know when you are contributing to a teaching assistant's development as an instructor and when you are inhibiting that growth. Amena does a very good job of conscientiously juggling this, and I think it's partly because she is personable while remaining professional, sociable but also focused. I have very much enjoyed the opportunities I have had to work with her.
If you'd like to contact Brett, write to bdinovo@ucsc.edu.