Faculty & Staff

Dane Scott, PhD

Director

dane.scott@mso.umt.edu

406-243-6632

Dr. Dane Scott is the Director of The Center for Ethics at The University of Montana. He holds a doctorate in philosophy from Vanderbilt University (Nashville, TN), an M.A. in philosophical theology from the Graduate Theological Union (Berkeley, CA), and a B.S. from the University of California, Riverside.

Prior to moving to Montana, Dr. Scott was Associate Dean of the Honors College at Western Carolina University, as well as director of the Humanities program. He has taught at Western Carolina University, Wake Forest University, and Vanderbilt University.

Courses taught include:

• Practical Reasoning
• Biotechnology and Society
• Biomedical Ethics: Health Care and Social Justice
• Freedom, Culture and Technology
• Environmental Ethics & Public Policy
• Wilderness Ethics and Aesthetics Ethics
• Contemporary Philosophy: Pragmatism to Postmodernism
• Religion and Science
• Legal, Scientific and Critical Reasoning
• Western Philosophical Traditions
• Introduction to Philosophy
• Honors I & II (Directed Readings in Medical Ethics)
• Ethical Implications of Global Climate Change

Dr. Scott specializes in bioethics, environmental ethics, and agricultural and food ethics, and is also interested in the philosophy of technology, American pragmatism, and the philosophy of religion.

Christopher Preston, PhD

Fellow of The Center for Ethics

christopher.preston@mso.umt.edu

406-243-2527

View Christopher Preston's Web page

Blake Francis

Administrative Officer

blake.francis@mso.umt.edu

406-243-6605

Blake began working for the Center for Ethics as project coordinator during the winter of 2008. Blake has assisted with several of the Center’s programs including the Debating Science Program, the Environmental Ethics Institute, and Teaching Ethics.

He received his BA in Philosophy and Women’s Studies (with honors) from Northern Arizona University in 2000 and his MA in Philosophy from The University of Montana in 2009. Blake plans to begin a PhD prgram in Philosophy at Stanford University in the Fall of 2010. Blake’s main academic interests include social and political philosophy, ethics and feminist philosophy. He is currently working on issues of identity in contemporary political philosophy.

Blake has been an instructor for English composition at UM, a teaching assistant in the Philosophy Department, and a Forest Service trail crew supervisor in Arizona and Alaska. In addition, Blake is on the board of directors of the National Coalition Building Institute of Missoula, where he enjoys actively engaging with the Missoula community and developing his leadership skills. He is a runner, a hiker, and a connoisseur of western Montana hot springs.

Melissa Early

Project Coordinator

406-243-6605

Melissa.early@umontana.edu

Melissa began working for the Center for Ethics during fall 2009.  She graduated from Sewanee: University of the South in 2007 with a B.A. in Environmental Studies: Policy (with honors) and is currently a Resource Conservation M.S. candidate at the University of Montana.  Melissa enjoys hiking around on Western public lands, berrypicking, and birdwatching.