UAA’s 20th Annual Undergraduate Philosophy Conference
March 21st – March 22nd, 2025 Schedule of Events
March 21
CPISB 120
9.30 am: Welcome and Opening Remarks
*Coffee and Snacks
10:00 am-12:00pm: Student Panel 1
1.Bailey Demir: Social Media and Meaning Essentialism
2.Tommy Sigman: Pragmatism and Social Media Policy: An Exploration of Various Philosophical Perspectives to Address Epistemic Obstacles
3.Justin Chaney*, Zong Xiong*, RJ Michael and Dr. Masoumeh Heidari Kapourchali: AI in Elderly Healthcare: Ethical Challenges in Automated Diagnosis and Decision-Making
12:00pm-1:00 pm: Catered lunch
1:00-2:30 pm: Faculty Panel
- Dr. Kaori Shimizu, Department of Languages and Director, The Montgomery Dickson Center for Japanese Language and Culture: Ethical Considerations of AI in Language Education: Balancing Technology and Human Communication
- Dr. Andrew Harnish, Department of Writing: Cyberethics at UAA: The Challenges and Affordances of Generative AI
- Dr. Terry Kelly, Department of Philosophy: Ethical Issues and Principles for Trustworthy AI
2:30-3:00 pm: Beverages and Snacks
3:00-4:00 pm Alumni Session with Miranda Strong (2008 UAA Graduate and Philosophy
Major)
Miranda Strong oversees Calista’s external affairs department. She has worked as an attorney advising on political law in private practice; as Chief Ethics and Compliance Officer and Associate General Counsel for Bering Straits Native Corporation; as an Assistant Attorney General, Tribal Liaison and Special Assistant on Alaska Native matters at the State of Alaska; law clerk for the Honorable Eric Aarseth, and co-founded Sweet Caribou, a local bakery. Miranda holds a JD from the University of Washington and an MPA from the University of Alaska Southeast. She was born and raised on the Kenai Peninsula.
UAA Consortium Library 307
5.30-7.00 pm, Keynote I with Dr. Hanna Gunn
March 22
CPISB 120
10:30-11:45 am: Student Panel 2
- Bailey Demir: Treatment of Pretrial-Incarcerated & Otherwise Marginalized Persons in Emergency Department Settings
- Ted Tedrick: Proposed Revisions of the Anchorage Healthcare System: A Transgender Man’s Pragmatist Perspective
Coffee and Snacks served
12.00-1.30 pm, Keynote II with Dr. Celia Chomón Zamora
12:00-12:30 pm: Catered Lunch
1:45-3:15 pm: Plenary Discussion and Final Remarks:
1:30-2:00 pm: Beverages and Snacks