Wes AndersonCurriculum Vitae
H (503) 200 4511B [email protected]
Í https://sites.google.com/site/wesleyhandersonssite/
AOS- Philosophy of Biology - Causation- Philosophy of Science
AOC- History of Philosophy/Science - Philosophy of Cognitive Science/Mind- Environmental Ethics - Social/Political Philosophy
Education2011–2016 PhD in History and Philosophy of Science, Arizona State University (expected).2009–2011 M.A. in Philosophy, The University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee.2004-2009 B.S. in Philosophy, Portland State University.
DissertationTitle Advancing the Causal Theory of Natural Selection: Theory and Methodology
Supervisor Brad ArmendtMembers Bruce Glymour, Richard Creath, Ann Kinzig, and Charles Perrings
ShortAbstract
I advance the causal theory of natural selection on two fronts. The first makesuse of the interventionist notion of causation to make headway on conceptualproblems in evolutionary biology. These problems include: diagnosing when a traitis an adaptation upon fixation, distinguishing between selection and drift, modelingenvironments, identifying the difference demographic structure makes to evolutionarytrajectories, distinguishing between group and individual level models, and diagnosinga non-standard collection of entities as an evolving population. Second, I applycausal modeling techniques to complex evolutionary contexts in which interactivecausation is rife. I argue that methods from quantitative genetics developed in the1980s and 1990s must be replaced by causal modeling techniques.
ArticlesPeer-Reviewed
Resubmitted Some adaptations were not positive causal factors for reproductive success,Philosophy of Science.
In PreparationDemographic structure makes a difference to evolution.
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Causal methods for evolutionary biologists.
PresentationsMay 2016 Were all adaptations positive causal factors for reproductive success?, Univer-
sity of Wisconsin, Madison, Philosophy of Biology at Madison, Madison, Wisconsin.July 2015 Adaptations and the directions of selection, University of Quebec, Montreal,
International Society for the History, Philosophy, and Social Studies of Biology,Montreal.
July 2013 Population viability analysis with scarce data, University of Montpellier, Interna-tional Society for the History, Philosophy, and Social Studies of Biology, Montpellier.
April 2013 Prospects for explicitly causal population viability analysis, Munich Center forMathematical Philosophy, Models and Decisions Conference, Munich.
ServicesNovember
2014Chair of Phylogeny and Taxonomy Session, Philosophy of Science AssociationConference, Chicago.
Awards2009-2011 Advanced Opportunity Program (AOP) Fellowship
2009 Commendation Award for the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences2008-2009 Scholarly and Creative Activity Grant2008-2009 McNair Scholarship Program and Stipend
Teaching Experience2011 – 2015 TA for Philosophy of Science2012 – 2014 TA for History of Science
MembershipsAAPT American Association of Philosophy TeachersAPA American Philosophical Association
ISHPSSB International Society for the History, Philosophy, and Social Studies of BiologyPSA Philosophy of Science Association
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