My research interests lie primarily within metaphysics and the philosophy of language.  I am particularly interested in the semantic status of natural kind terms and the ontological status of natural kinds.  I am also interested in the philosophy of time (and am sympathetic towards a presentist view) as well as the emergence/reduction battle.  (I've been meaning to post a link to an edited version of my thesis on natural kind terms but haven't quite got around to it yet)

Some things that I enjoy/am involved in: I am a music writer/producer and dj and run a cooperative called Context Recordings.  I also run a small non-profit organization with two friends called Ayuda Directa USA.  We organize development projects in rural Ecuador. I also work in the area as a mason (please no one ask me to rebuild any more chimney stacks!) but am quite pleased that I have been able to finagle a position at UMass so I don't have to risk my neck up on any more questionably built scaffolding.