My research, teaching experience, and past coursework have solidified my commitment to approaching moral philosophy from a historical perspective. Guided by the desire to understand the relationship between individual flourishing, education, and the formation of thriving communities, my work draws from three movements that characterize Western 20th century moral philosophy: American pragmatism, the revival of virtue ethics, and feminist care ethics. The influence of each these traditions is present in my developmental account of trust, which emphasizes the role asymmetries of power, past experiences, and social and historical context play in our judgements about trust. The developmental account I offer in my dissertation is distinct from the existing affective, doxastic, and ordinary language accounts of trust insofar as it considers how our physical environment shapes our tendencies to trust and distrust. As a result, my account of trust is suited for both answering practical questions about how trust is fostered, maintained, and repaired in the real world and for exploring theoretical questions about why we value trust.

 As an early career scholar, I have two short-term research goals. The first is to continue exploring how I can use my account of trust to contribute to contemporary debates on related topics such as friendship, honesty, and identity. The second is to begin working on monograph project that synthesizes my research on these topics with my historically-informed ethical commitments and the account of trust offered in my dissertation.