2018 Outstanding University Teacher Award Winner, Tenure Track

Daniel Breyer, Ph.D.

Ph.D. in Philosophy from Fordham University (2008)
Associate Professor and Director of the Religious Studies Minor, Department of Philosophy

Teaching Philosophy

As a teacher, my fundamental goal is to help students learn by providing the kind of supporting structure and dependable direction that allows them to flourish both as the individuals they are and in ways they never could have anticipated.

My motivation to become a college professor comes from

When I was in high school, I felt discouraged by my teachers. When I got to college, however, I realized how inspiring professors could be. My initial motivation to become a professor was to inspire and help students with backgrounds like mine in the same ways that my very best professors inspired and helped me. And that's what strive drives me today.

The most rewarding aspect of teaching for me is

Introducing students to new ways of thinking and to issues they've never considered, while actively engaging them in discussions about all this magical philosophical stuff. It's pretty amazing. Oh, and it's my job.

The resource or person that has been the most important influence in my teaching career is

John Greco. His kindness and humor in the classroom, his intellectual rigor, and his ability to distill even the most complex ideas down to their essence showed me what being a great teacher looked like. I've been trying to be better than him for 15 years now.

Photo of Daniel Breyer — “When students tell me I’m their role model, I feel the weight of the world on me, but I also feel like I’ve done something right with my life--at least in the classroom.”