Dr. Mark C. Vopat

Youngstown State University
DeBartolo Hall 411
One University Plaza
Youngstown, OH 44555

Office: (330)941-3362
mvopat@ysu.edu



AOS: Social and Political Philosophy (especially contractarianism), Ethics, Applied Ethics

AOC: Logic (Formal and Informal), History of Philosophy


EDUCATION

University of Western Ontario
PhD, Philosophy
September 23, 2003

Dissertation: The Moral Status of Children: A Contractarian Approach

Supervisory Committee: Samantha Brennan, Michael Milde, John Thorp

Competency Exams: Logic (May 2001)
History of Philosophy (August 2000)

Comprehensive Exam: Ethics and Value Theory (August 2001)

Cleveland State University
MA, Philosophy 1996

Cleveland State University
BA, Philosophy 1994


AWARDS AND SCHOLARSHIPS

2005 University of Akron, Chairs’ Award for Excellence in Teaching

1997-2001 University of Western Ontario, Graduate Teaching Assistantship.

1997-2001 International Graduate Student Scholarship

1998-2001 University of Western Ontario Special University Scholarship

1998-2000 Nominated for Graduate Student Teaching Award

1995-1996 Cleveland State University Teaching Assistantship

1994-1995 Cleveland State University Tuition Grant


PUBLICATIONS

Journal Articles
“Justice, Religion and the Education of Children” currently under consideration.

“Contractarianism and Children.” Public Affairs Quarterly 17 No. 1 (January 2003)

Book Contribution
“Parent Licensing and Child Protection” in Taking Responsibility For Children, eds Samantha Brennan and Robert Noggle (forthcoming Laurier University Press).

“Professions and Professional Responsibility” in Professional Ethics: An Online Text ed. The Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies, Youngstown State University (forthcoming Prentice Hall)

Book Reviews

Review of Element of Justice by David Schmidtz . Philosophy in Review (forthcoming October 2007)

Review of The Sacred Monstrous: A reflection on violence in human communities, by Wendy C. Hamblet. Philosophy in Review, 25, No. 3, (June 2005).

Review of Deep Democracy, by Judith Green. Philosophy in Review, 20, No. 5, (October 2000).


PRESENTATIONS

Refereed Papers

“Justice, Religion and the Education of Children,” presented to the Society for Applied Philosophy at the University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK (June 30-July 1, 2007)

“Justice, Religion and the Education of Children,” presented to the Society for Indian Philosophy and Religion, at the University of Minnesota Mankato, Mankato MN (April 1, 2007)

Invited Papers

“Technology and American Values” presented to the Institute for Learning in Retirement, Youngstown State University, May 4, 2007.

“Justice, Religion and the Education of Children,” presented to the Social Science and Humanities Research Council of Canada Research Team: Children, Family and State Workshop on “The Good Family” at The University of Western Ontario, July 10 and 11, 2006.

“Parent Licensing and Child Protection” Responsibility and Children: A University of Western Ontario Conference in Moral, Legal, and Political Philosophy, February 23, 2002.

“Contractarianism and Children” Paying Attention to Children: Philosophical Reflections on Children's Welfare, Parents' Rights & Justice in the Family, The University of Western Ontario, March 4, 2000.

Commentary

Commented on Karen Hornsby’s paper “A Right To Education” for the April 2003 meeting of the Ohio Philosophical Association.

Commented on Amy Mullin’s paper “Children, Caregivers, and Friends: Models of Care” at the May 2002 meeting of the Canadian Philosophical Association.


WORKS IN PROGRESS

Review of The War for Children’s Minds, by Stephen Law.

Working title: “Children and Opportunity: How much is enough?”

Working title: “Business Ethics and Individual Responsibility” I am currently preparing textbook proposal in business and professional ethics with a colleague (Dr. Travis Hreno, University of Akron).


TEACHING

Youngstown State University

Fall 2006 General Ethics
Professional Ethics (2 Sections)
Professional Ethics (Online)

Spring 2006 Professional Ethics (3 Sections)
Professional Ethics (Online)
Logic (Online)


COMMUNITY/UNIVERSITY SERVICE

SOAR - Luncheon with new students and their parents, August 2007
Institutional Review Board Member, Northside Medical Center, Youngstown, Ohio, 2007-2008

Web site administrator for the Ohio Faculty Senate, 2006-2007

Web site administrator for the Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies 2006-Present

SOAR Panelist: “Candid Conversations with YSU Faculty and Staff”, Summer 2006

Commencement Marshall, Summer 2006

Commencement Marshall, Fall 2005


OTHER EXPERIENCE

Summer-Fall 2004 Cuyahoga County Field Director, Fingerhut for U.S. Senate Campaign

Winter 2002 Co-organized the UWO Responsibility and Children Conference

2000-2002 Research Assistant to Professor Samantha Brennan

1999-2000 Assisted in the organization of the UWO Paying Attention to Children Conference

1998-1999 Member, Society of Graduate Students Committee on By-Laws

1996-1997 Assistant Program Coordinator, Cuyahoga Community College, Center for Applied Gerontology

1994-1995 Member, Maple Heights Planning Commission

1993-1994 Chairperson, Maple Heights Fair Housing Committee

1992-1993 Member, Maple Heights Fair Housing Committee


PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS

American Philosophical Society
The British Society for Ethical Theory,
Associate Member
Society for Applied Philosophy