Faculty Spotlight


Dr. Dave YountDr. Dave Yount Dr. Dave Yount

I am currently Chair of Philosophy and Religious Studies Department. I earned my B.A. in Philosophy and Psychology from the University of Michigan – Ann Arbor, and my Masters and Ph.D. in Philosophy from the University of Wisconsin – Madison, specializing in ancient philosophy. I have authored two scholarly monographs: Plato and Plotinus on Mysticism, Epistemology, and Ethics (Bloomsbury Publishing, 2017) and Plotinus: The Platonist: A Comparative Account of Plato and Plotinus’ Metaphysics (Bloomsbury Publishing, 2014); I have also written a chapter of an anthology, a biography of Plotinus in Meet the Philosophers of Ancient Greece (Ashgate Publishing, 2005), and have several other manuscripts in the works. I have taught Introduction to Philosophy, Intro to Ethical Theory, Ancient Philosophy, Contemporary Moral Issues, Medical and Bio-Ethics, Business Ethics, Environmental Ethics, Philosophy of Sexuality, Plato, and Intro to Eastern Philosophy. Here is my Curriculum Vitae.

Find out more on Dr. Yount's Contact page here.

Dr. Barry VaughanDr. Barry Vaughan Dr. Barry Vaughan

I am a professor of Philosophy at Mesa Community College in Mesa Arizona. I teach Introduction to Philosophy, Introduction to Ethics, Introduction to Bioethics, History of Ancient Greek Philosophy, Introduction to Philosophy of Religion, and History of Religion in Ireland: Ancient to Medieval.

I specialize in the History of Philosophy and completed my PhD in ancient Philosophy under Dr. Hugh Benson of the Philosophy Department at the University of Oklahoma. (My CV is available here.) My dissertation topic is the problem of Socrates' Unity of Virtues theory. This among other problems in Socratic Philosophy I find truly fascinating.

My other philosophical interests include Philosophy of Religion, Philosophy of Mind and Epistemology. Find out more on Dr. Vaughan's Contact page here.

Dr. Debra CampbellDr. Debra Campbell Dr. Debra Campbell

Debra J. Campbell was named as an Emeritus Professor in 2020 after teaching Philosophy classes as a tenured faculty in the Philosophy and Religious Studies Department of Mesa Community College since 1992. Debra has a Master’s Degree in Philosophy and a Ph.D. in Political Science from Arizona State University. Her research interests include promoting Legislative Juries, Direct Deliberative Democracy, and Interest-Based Negotiation. She continues to teach philosophy courses as an adjunct faculty member.

Most recently, there has been a movement toward more direct democracy in the form of citizen-sponsored “initiatives.“ At present, twenty-six states allow ordinary citizens to propose and sponsor bills that are then voted upon in special or general elections. This form of direct democracy has been heavily criticized. Learn more on Dr. Campbell's Contact page here.