Faculty Profile: Leonard Finkelman

If dinosaurs ever come up in a conversation, Leonard Finkelman might have to be on speed dial. The recently promoted Associate Professor of Philosophy is all things paleontology and specializes in the emerging field of Philosophy of Paleontology, working on conceptual issues in extinction and the metaphysical background of dinosaur research. 

Finkelman received his B.A. with High Honors in Philosophy from the University of Virginia in 2003 while earning his Ph.D. in Philosophy from the City University of New York Graduate Center in 2013. He then acquired his M.S. in Earth Sciences from the University of Oregon in 2019.  

In addition to this research, Leonard has written several outreach essays on a variety of topics including ethics, possible-world semantics, and human nature. He will also occasionally indulge interests in astronomy, prehistoric art, science fiction, and graphic novels. His work has been profiled in Wired and The Oregonian.  

From the philosophy of Star Wars, to dinosaurs and Godzilla, to a zombie apocalypse, Finkelman provides an open-minded, thought-provoking approach to his work and a valuable learning experience to his students.