(More) About Me

I'm currently a Postdoctoral Fellow in the Dartmouth Society of Fellows and received my PhD in philosophy from the University of Pennsylvania in May 2023. My dissertation supervisor was Gary Hatfield and my committee members Lisa Miracchi Titus, Quayshawn Spencer, and Zab Johnson (Wharton Neuroscience). My research was supported by the Kone Foundation in 2022-2023.

 

My primary focus is empirically guided philosophy of perception, though I'm interested in a wide variety of issues having to do with how humans and other animals perceive, think about, and interact with their environments. I like to think about color and pain, the connections between intellectual traditions, and how we should approach metaphysical and epistemological questions relating to cognition and perception.

 

Here's the list of categories I edit on PhilPapers: 

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Ecological Approaches to Perception

Perception and Neuroscience

Psychophysics

Gestalt Theory

Science of Perception, Misc

Primary and Secondary Qualities

Pain and Pain Experience

Pain and Perception

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At Penn, I served as a chapter representative for MAP-Penn, a graduate representative for the Penn philosophy department, and a graduate Wellness representative. I completed the Penn SCAN (Social, Cognitive, and Affective Neuroscience) graduate certificate program, was a MindCORE affiliate, a MIRA (Mind-like Intelligence, Research, and Analysis) group member, and a STAMP (Step-Ahead Mentorship Program) mentor. I co-organized four MAP-Penn conferences, launched the MAP-Penn Invited Speaker Series, ran a number of reading groups, and organized the Penn Philosophy Teaching Workshop on Disability Inclusion and Accessibility.

 

At Dartmouth, my primary affiliation is with the Philosophy department. I have guest lectured in the Cognitive Science and Writing Programs, hosted visiting speakers on campus, and co-organized an event focusing on Diné (Navajo) Philosophies.

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Before pursuing my PhD, I studied Tibetan language and Buddhist philosophy at the Library of Tibetan Works and Archives (LTWA) in India, taught in Hong Kong, and earned MA and BSc degrees from the University of Tampere (now Tampere University) in Finland. I live in Hartford (VT) with my partner John, who is a poet, and our FIV-positive Indian cat, Senge. I've been involved in Animal Rescue and Fairtrade, and I had the privilege of living in the wonderful Annikinkatu Community for many years. I'm a first-generation college graduate, my favorite tea is Bai Hao Yin Zhen, I use she/they pronouns, I'm a bad Buddhist, and the forest is my shrine.

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The Finnish/Swedish pronunciation of my name is T(h)EE-na K(h)A-ri-ta ROO-sen-KVIST, but the anglicized pronunciation is perfectly fine.

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(Above photo credit: Inka Uppal)

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