Phone:  465-1245

Office:   LA3011

Garret Merriam received his Ph.D from Rice University in 2008.  His dissertation, entitled "Virtue Ethics and the Moral Significance of Animals," attempted to develop an Aristotelian account of moral psychology with regard to how humans treat non-human animals, especially with regard to factory farms and medical experimentation. Before coming to USI in August of 2008 he taught philosophy at Lone Star College in Kingwood, Texas.

Dr. Merriam's research interests include applied ethics, ethical theory and moral psychology. He is especially interested in animal ethics, virtue theory and the philosophy of emotion. He has published papers on the ethics of animal research, regenerative medicine and the philosophy of disability.

Dr. Merriam has taught classes in applied ethics, moral theory, the history of philosophy, the philosophy of religion, the philosophy of science, social and political philosophy and the philosophy of mind.