Alumni Spotlight: Chris Mynatt
Chris Mynatt, MA in Philosophy Class of ‘19
Chris earned his BA in Philosophy from the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs, where he made the Dean’s list multiple semesters. Here at Cal State Long Beach, he was lauded with the Friends of Philosophy scholarship and the Distinguished Graduate Student commencement award, having achieved a perfect 4.00 GPA. Upon completing the MA, Chris began working as an Administrative Services Specialist at the U.S. Attorney’s Office at the Central District of California. After over four years at the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Chris relocated back to his home state of Colorado. He currently works for the Colorado Springs Police Department as a Community Services Representative where he recently was awarded a Commander’s Commendation Letter for his efforts in helping locate and bring home two runaway girls. Chris’s future plans include going back to school for an MA in Communications to hopefully become a Public Affairs Specialist in local government. He likes to spend his free time with his daughter and going to the gym.
Alumni Spotlight: James Reuter
James Reuter, MA in Philosophy Class of ‘22
James completed his graduate degree at CSULB in 2022 and earned the Distinguished Philosophy Graduate Student award for AY21–22. During his time as a graduate student, James began working as a Research Assistant for the Center for International Trade & Transportation (CITT). Today, he serves CITT as a Project Manager and has authored and contributed to research projects on various topics, including knowledge management and succession planning for the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans), the statewide transit operator shortage, tribal transportation workforce development, and the impact of state regulations on the regional supply chain. James is particularly interested in the improvement of mass transit and pedestrian infrastructure and has recently pursued multiple research opportunities in this area. In his free time, he enjoys reading, writing, playing music, experiencing live music, spinning records, and walking around town.
New Faculty Joining the Department
The Department of Philosophy is delighted to announce that Per-Erik Milam will be joining us this coming FA25 as a new Assistant Professor of Philosophy.
Dr. Milam earned a Bachelor’s of Arts degree in Philosophy from Pomona College. He then went on to take his PhD in Philosophy from the University of California San Diego, with a dissertation in moral psychology on abolitionism about the reactive attitudes. Before arriving here in Long Beach, he spent several years doing research and teaching at the Universities of Gothenburg, Oslo, and Twente, before landing back in the United States at Lewis & Clark College in Portland Oregon.
Dr. Milam’s primary areas of expertise are in ethics and moral psychology (esp. the reactive attitudes related to praise and blame) and applied metaphysics (esp. agency and philosophy of action). Secondarily, he also does research in areas related to the ethics of technology, among other areas. Recent publications include ‘Violent video games: content, attitudes, and norms‘, which was co-authored with Alexander Andersson and published in volume 25 of Ethics and Information Technology and ‘Letting go of blame‘, which was co-authored with Luke Brunning and published in volume 106 of the renowned Philosophy and Phenomenological Research.
This FA25, Dr. Milam will be teaching Meaning of Life (PHIL101) and a graduate seminar on the topic of forgiveness and blame in moral psychology (PHIL690). Future courses might include Ethics and Society (PHIL160) Normative Ethics (PHIL363), Engineering Ethics (PHIL402), AI Ethics (PHIL404), Political Philosophy (PHIL351), and Freedom and Agency (PHIL448/558).
Welcome, Dr. Milam!
Liz Sato receives JASSO fellowship
The government of Japan, through its Japan Student Services Organization (JASSO) program, offers a competitive $27,000 research fellowship. Much like the Boren, Fulbright, Rhodes, Soros, or Marshall fellowships here in the United States, the JASSO fellowship is designed to support Japanese citizens pursuing graduate-level research in countries around the globe.
Congratulations to MA student Rizu ‘Liz’ Sato, who successfully competed against 463 graduate student applicants in the humanities and social sciences and was lauded with the award for academic year AY25–26.
Liz’s first introduction to philosophy was a course on the history of early modern thinkers, especially the works of the Scottish Enlightenment philosopher David Hume. More than any other philosopher in that period, Hume laid the philosophical foundations for modern science and epistemology, establishing the doctrine of empiricism and advancing skeptical views about causation and inductive reasoning, religious belief, moral psychology, and the self. Liz was fascinated by Hume’s empirical inquiry into human nature, and her intellectual curiosity led her to major in the subject. Liz completed a Bachelor of Arts degree at International Christian University in Tokyo, where she made the dean’s list four times; along the way, she studied abroad for a semester at UC Berkeley, taking classes in philosophy of mind and psychology.
Liz decided to pursue a Master of Arts degree in the United States, which she believes offers the best education in the world, to gain more skills and background in research. She initiated her MA program here at CSULB in FA24 and immediately began enriching her understanding of the early modern and modern philosophical traditions. With Dr. Jayasekera, she took a graduate seminar on free will in the early modern period and a special topics course on Leibniz; she added a course on the British empiricists from Dr. Nolan; and with Drs. Wright and Banick, she took a class on Kant and a graduate seminar on Hegel’s logic.
Owing in part to this systematic training, Liz was successfully able to apply for a SU25 research assistantship. She will work with Dr. Jayasekera on a project on the moral philosophy of another figure in the Scottish Enlightenment, Thomas Reid. Together, they will analyze his Essays on the Active Powers of Man to explore the conception of so-called ‘common sense’, which is a class of intuitive judgments. They also plan to study the role that common sense plays in Reid’s discussion of and arguments for moral liberty and the implications of these ideas for today’s discussion on free will.
The Scottish Enlightenment fomented many interesting debates over sentimentalism and the role of the ‘passions’ in moral theory, and Liz has interests in moral psychology as well. This past SP25, she was awarded travel grants to present a paper on empathy at the West Coast Masters Philosophy Conference, where she argued that perspective-taking is the central feature that distinguishes empathy from other emotions. And she plans to take the seminar on moral psychology this FA25 with Dr. Milam to develop these interests further.
But Liz has always been most deeply intrigued by Hume’s philosophy since the beginning of her journey into academic philosophy. She was invited as a speaker at the SP25 Philosophy Day! Symposium, where she explored whether Hume considers belief in God to be an instance of natural belief or not. In her talk, Liz noted that commentators on Hume have failed to differentiate the criteria for the technical term ‘natural belief’ from what Liz calls ‘mere belief’. On these grounds, she argued that, for Hume, belief in God—not being a prerequisite for mere belief formation—is not natural. As she moves into the next academic year and takes up her JASSO fellowship, Liz plans to explore the assembly of her interests into an MA thesis.
Again, congratulations to Liz on all of these accomplishments and especially on being awarded such a prestigious international fellowship from Japan.
Edward Quest (1941–2024)
In Memoriam
Dr. Charles Edward Quest, professor emeritus of philosophy, died on December 28, 2024, at the age of 83.
Ed was born on May 7th 1941, in Louisville Kentucky during World War II. He grew up with his brother Bill and his two sisters, Libby and Barbara. In 1961, he met his wife Jane in Europe, where they were both studying at the University of Vienna. Their friendship led to courtship, which continued back in the States.
After Ed’s graduation from Duke University, he and Jane married and came to California. Ed earned his doctorate in philosophy at Claremont Graduate University, which underwent a massive expansion from 1966–1971 thanks in part a $5,000,000 Challenge Grant from the Ford Foundation. Upon graduation, Ed accepted a full professorship at Long Beach State University, and began doing what he did best—teaching philosophy. He loved ideas about rationality and ethics, and was fond of topics such as the morality of war, what deserves praise, and the meaning of happiness. His students have described him as thoughtful, decent, and lively. During his teaching career at LBSU, he published several well-received philosophical articles.
In addition to academics, Ed loved sports—especially baseball, basketball, and tennis—which was shared with his children. Oftentimes, he would fall asleep listening to the Lakers’ Chick Hearn and Dodgers’ Vin Scully. Most importantly, Dr. Quest was a loving husband to his wife, and a wonderful father to his children, Molly, Peter, Theodore, William, and Benjamin. He was “always there” for his family, be it tennis, music, soccer, or canoe trips. He also was a special grandfather to his grandchildren, Jonah, Andrew, Katherine, Charlie, Timothy, and Connor. His son Willy describes Ed as ‘the best father, the father you try to be when you become a father’. Ed is survived by his wife, five children, six grandchildren, brother, and two sisters. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to the Jimmy Carter Center in Atlanta, Georgia.
Dr. Charles Edward Quest’s legacy will live on in the lives he touched, especially those of his wife and family, and the many students he taught. He will be deeply missed, but his respect for the beauty and truth he saw in the world will continue to inspire those who knew him.
Alumni Spotlight: Faris Babineaux
Faris Babineaux Esq, BA in Philosophy & BS in Criminology and Criminal Justice Class of ‘21
Faris earned two bachelor degrees and a certificate in legal studies from CSULB in 2021. He competed in track and field at CSULB and was the 2020 Big West Scholar-Athlete of the year. Faris went on to earn his JD from Texas A & M University School of Law and was admitted to the State Bar of Texas in 2024. While at Texas A & M, Faris was the president of the Black Law Student Association, placed fourth in the National Thurgood Marshall Moot Court Competition, and volunteered in the school’s recruiting department. Faris currently works at Haynes and Boone, LLP in Dallas doing work on complex commercial real estate transactions. In his free time, he likes to watch Godzilla movies with his gecko, Cornelia, and cook steaks.
Alumni Spotlight: Edgar Vera
Edgar Vera Esq, BA in Philosophy & BS in Criminology and Criminal Justice Class of ‘11
Edgar earned two bachelor degrees from CSULB in 2011. He then went to Loyola Law School on an academic scholarship, where he earned his JD in 2015, and was admitted to the California State Bar in 2015. While in Law School Edgar was a member of Loyola Law School’s Byrne Trial Advocacy Team, a top-tier trial advocacy team ranked fourth in the nation. Edgar volunteered at the Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles, interned at the Los Angeles County Public Defender, Orange County Public Defender, and Federal Public Defender. Edgar currently works with Karns & Karns, LLP doing personal injury work and consulting in Los Angeles and Las Vegas. Edgar, along with his wife, is also a real estate investor and developer.
Alumna Spotlight: Andrea Reynolds
Andrea Reynolds, M.A. in Philosophy Class of ‘07
Andrea earned her MA in Philosophy from CSULB in 2007, Phi Beta Kappa. With a focus on philosophy of art and aesthetics, her thesis applies art ontologies of Immanuel Kant and Nelson Goodman to performance art works ‘Shoot‘ by Chris Burden (1971), ‘Trading Dirt‘, by Allan Kaprow (1983), and ‘Art/Life One Year Performance (Rope Piece)‘ by Tehching Hsieh & Linda Montano (1983–1984). She was advised by Dr. Julie Van Camp.
Since graduation, Andrea has taught philosophy at Cal State Long Beach and Rio Hondo College, and currently splits her time between the Philosophy Departments at Ventura College, Mount St. Mary’s University, and California Lutheran University. Her website <https://theunstructor.com>, a depository for online philosophy resources for students, receives thousands of worldwide visits annually. In 2014, she was student-voted Best Instructor of Arts and Sciences at Mount St. Mary’s University.
Andrea is also a multi-genre violinist, performing and recording with groups such as the collective Kaiso LA, Trevor New, the Symphony of Northwest Arkansas, the George Sarah Ensemble, and Damion Mikol Wagner and the Dusk. Past and current projects can be found at her website, Instagram, and TikTok.
Alumni Spotlight: Erik Rodriguez Cerda
Erik Rodriguez Cerda, BA in Philosophy Class of ‘19
Erik graduated from Cal State Long Beach in 2019 with a BA in Philosophy. He found that, by strengthening his critical thinking skills, his degree enabled him to look beyond simple answers to understand the structures around him.
Currently, Erik works as a Workforce Programs Coordinator at GRID Alternatives, a non-profit solar installer that serves historically disadvantaged communities. In this role, Erik works with trainees and job seekers to sharpen the ‘soft’ skills needed to advance in their careers.
He also participates in after-school mentoring with local high school students, and is an active member of GRID’s internal EID (Equity, Inclusion, and Diversity) team, helping to create an inclusive environment for all staff. Most recently, Erik was selected to travel with select members of this team to Montgomery Alabama to visit the Equal Justice Initiative and to share this experience with the rest of the organization.
In his free time, Erik enjoys spending time with his partner and their four cats, visiting local coffee shops, and perfecting the ultimate vegan cheeseburger.
Alumna Spotlight: Jessica Wood
Jessica Wood, B.A. in Philosophy Class of ‘11
Jessica is a two-time CSULB alumna, having received her Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy with coursework in Cell & Molecular Biology, and a Master of Arts in Secondary Education Curriculum & Instruction, along with a single subject teaching credential in Foundational Science. Jessica has held several roles within the Bob Murphy Access Center (BMAC) on campus, and currently serves as the Associate Director of BMAC. Previously, she was a middle school science and math teacher in Long Beach Unified School District. Additionally, Jessica serves on the Student Affairs Equity Task Force and Building an Equitable and Empowering Culture (BEEC) subcommittee of Beach 2030, and is committed to fostering a campus environment and culture that celebrates equitable access, inclusion, and Universal Design for all students. In her free time, Jessica can be found outside reading a book or tending to her plants.