Faculty & Staff

Associate Professor
Philosophy Program Coordinator
cemiller@fhsu.edu

Carl Miller earned a B.A. in Philosophy and English from Appalachian State University, a Ph.D. in Philosophy from the University of Georgia, and a law degree from the George Washington University Law School, in Washington, D.C.  His philosophical interests include biblical studies, Christian apologetics, ethics, Stoicism, and the theory of knowledge.  In his spare time, he enjoys hand-tool woodworking, watching old movies, reading, and exercising.  

Professor
grice@fhsu.edu

Born and raised in the Midwest, Dr. Rice completed his Ph.D. at Marquette University. Dr. Rice teaches primarily in the areas of moral philosophy, human rights, and Eastern philosophy.  He also teaches meditation. Dr. Rice and his family enjoy spending time outdoors, especially exploring the Rocky Mountains on foot, on gravel bike, and in kayak. 

Additional Resources on Mindful Meditation

Professor
ddrabkin@fhsu.edu

Douglas Drabkin graduated from the University of Virginia in 1993 with degrees in literature, education, and philosophy, and has been a member of the department since 1994. He teaches a wide range of courses including Introduction to Philosophy, Bioethics, Classical Greek Philosophy, Foundations of Modern Philosophy, and Aesthetics.  He has published articles in the philosophy of religion and has written a helpful guidebook to Plato's Republic (for a free copy: https://scholars.fhsu.edu/philosophy_oer/1/).  A pretty competent amateur violinist, he shamelessly scrapes away.

Assistant Professor
dntostenson@fhsu.edu

David Tostenson is originally from Minnesota. He graduated from the University of Florida in 2009 and joined the philosophy department at Fort Hays State University in 2010. His primary areas of philosophical interest are philosophy of mind and philosophy of psychology, and he also has an interest in ethics and philosophy of religion. He is particularly interested in the prospects and possibilities of studying the mind scientifically. Besides philosophy, David's interests include movies and music. He plays a little piano and is modestly accomplished on the bass guitar. He has also been known to write a bit of short fiction and practices the martial art Aikido.

Assistant Professor
srbyer@fhsu.edu

Sammuel (Rob) Byer was born and raised in Larned, Kansas. He earned a B.A. in English (Literature) and a B.A. in Philosophy from Fort Hays State University in 2007 and received his M.A. and Ph.D. in Philosophy from the University of Oklahoma in 2012 and 2017 respectively.  His philosophical and scholarly interests include various issues in metaphysics, comparative philosophy, and philosophy of religion (including both Eastern and Western traditions), as well as interdisciplinary work with scholars and professionals in fields outside of philosophy. In addition to his interests in philosophy, Rob enjoys science fiction and fantasy media, hip hop and folk music, and spending time with his wife, family, and friends.  

Associate Professor
phtramel@fhsu.edu

Peter Tramel was a U.S. Army medic / surgical technician before college.  He earned his B.A. in philosophy from FHSU, and his M.A. and Ph.D. in philosophy from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.  He wrote his doctoral dissertation on rationalism in moral epistemology. In 2012 he returned from teaching in New York State to teach here at his alma mater.  His areas of strongest interest are moral theory and epistemology. He also has strong interests in early modern philosophy, Kant, philosophy of religion, political philosophy, and just war theory. Besides philosophy, he enjoys cooking, literature, history, road bicycling, hiking, and most other forms of travel.

FHSU Online Professor
ksamidon@fhsu.edu

Kevin Amidon serves as Director of the Honors College at FHSU and teaches in the Departments of Philosophy and Modern Languages (German).  A B.A. degree in Economics from the University of Michigan and M.A. and Ph.D. degrees in German Studies from Princeton (along with years working, studying, and making music in Austria and Germany) give him a breadth of knowledge and experience peculiarly suited to working with Honors College students and teaching philosophy.  He has published widely on German social philosophy, history and theory of human diversity, biological thought, literature, film, and opera.  When he is not teaching, helping students with their goals, or reading 75-letter German words for his research, he enjoys restoring vintage European gasoline and diesel engines, and – along with the wonderful colleagues of the Hays Symphony – making a joyful (musical) noise.

FHSU Online Professor
keburrows@fhsu.edu

Born and raised in Hays, Kansas, Karen Burrows holds BAs in English and philosophy and an MA in English, as well as reading specialist, building leadership, and district leadership licenses, all from FHSU. With 25 years of experience in public education, she currently serves as the USD 507 Satanta superintendent and elementary school principal. She enjoys running, reading, and baking, and she is passionate about providing quality educational opportunities in western Kansas.

FHSU Online Professor
jcdelong@fhsu.edu

Jeremy DeLong completed his graduate work at the University of Kansas in 2016, with an earned Ph.D. in Philosophy, as well as an M.A. in Classics.  He has presented his research on Parmenides at national and international conferences, as well as published in several venues.  While specializing in ancient Greek and Roman philosophy, language, and culture, he also holds broad interests in many other areas of philosophy—metaphysics, philosophy of religion, free will, ethics, social/political thought, philosophy in film, etc.  He enjoys: reading novels, watching movies and TV series, listening to modern alternative music, playing video games (Zelda BOTW in China), and practicing Karate.

FHSU Online Professor
tjreilley@fhsu.edu

Tj Reilley earned her BA in Philosophy from Fort Hays State University in 1991 and enjoyed working as a grader in Philosophy Programs during her time in Hays. She went on to receive an MA in philosophy from Texas Tech University where she taught reasoning and logic for 3 years. While at TTU, Tj concentrated her graduate work on the philosophy of human nature and developed a therapeutic approach toward counseling which combines the powerful tools of active listening, philosophical reflection, and Socratic questioning.

Tj joined the FHSU Philosophy Programs as a FHSU Online instructor in 2001 and has enjoyed year-round teaching and developing online courses for FHSU ever since. When taking a break from lively DiscussionBoard forums with students and perusing writing assignments, Tj can be found writing poetry all around Albuquerque, pondering in her cozy garden, and creatively cooking for health and relaxation.

FHSU Online Professor
waschrepel@fhsu.edu

Walt Schrepel is a 1976 graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point. He is a father of a son and two daughters and poppa of two grandsons. He served in Infantry and worked in the Multi-National Forces and Observers (MFO) which was established after the Camp David Peace Accords. Walt earned a Masters Degree in Philosophy at the University of Pittsburgh and earned a Master's Degree in Adult and Continuing Education from Kansas State University. He has been teaching at FHSU for IDS 400 Bioethics and IDS 401 Ethics in the Professions and Business. He has published articles and made presentations on professional ethics. His most recent publication concerned Chinese expansion in Russian Siberia. He currently works for a simulations training and security company at Fort Leavenworth.

FHSU Online Professor
jesouthworth@fhsu.edu

Jason Southworth graduated from Elizabethtown College in 2000 with BAs in philosophy and political science. He has an MA in philosophy from the University of Oklahoma, where he is completing his doctorate, specializing in philosophy of language. He has been an online adjunct instructor for the department since 2007; he teaches General Logic, Bioethics, Introduction to Philosophy, Introduction to Liberal Studies, and Ways of Knowing in Comparative Perspectives. His philosophical interests include logic and critical reasoning, philosophy of mind, applied ethics, and philosophy of language. He has written numerous articles for pop culture and philosophy volumes, on subjects including Batman, the Walking Dead, Inception, and the Avengers.

FHSU Online Professor
rmtallman@fhsu.edu

Ruth Tallman graduated from Fort Hays State University in 2000 with a BA in philosophy. She has an MA in religious studies from the University of Kansas and an MA and a PhD in philosophy from the University of Oklahoma. Her research focuses on biomedical ethics, in particular on issues of non-compliance and shared decision making in the physician-patient relationship. Her recent publications include: “Helping Children Hurt Themselves: Why Pediatricians Ought to Support Adolescent Football Players in Their Athletic Goals,” in the Journal of Clinical Ethics, 2020, and “Promoting Racial Equity in COVID-19 Resource Allocations,” in the Journal of Medical Ethics, 2021. 

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