Resources for Graduate Students
Graduate Student Profiles
J. Brian Pitts
![J. Brian Pitts [photo]](photo.jpg)
Doctoral Student
History and Philosophy of Science
When I finished my doctorate in physics at UT-Austin, I concluded that my more natural academic home lay in philosophy. Several factors drew me to Notre Dame. The History and Philosophy of Science program here is strong in space-time theory, which is my primary area of research. Notre Dame also provides good opportunities to study both the philosophy of physics and the philosophy of religion. The program’s ability to support graduate students in various ways, including travel to conferences, was also attractive, and Notre Dame's midwestern location gave me the comforts of familiarity and convenience.
I find that Notre Dame has more interesting conferences than I am able to attend, and its variety of courses is an asset. One of my biggest prerequisites of graduate student life has been to attend conferences, especially those in Europe, and I have spoken at several in England, Spain, and Italy. I also received assistance from the HPS program and graduate school to attend a two-week science & religion course at Cambridge's Faraday Institute.
I hope to teach the philosophy of science at a research university, as well as to dabble in the science and religion interface. Notre Dame has been helpful in almost every way that I could imagine or want, with useful courses, interested professors, travel support, worthwhile teaching opportunities, and even helpful libraries. (I routinely use the Hesburgh, Chemistry-Physics, and Mathematics libraries.) As a Presbyterian, I have benefited from and, I hope, contributed to Notre Dame’s Roman Catholic mission.
