Dr. James Okapal, chair of the Department of Philosophy & Religion and the Department of History & Geography, was recently interviewed on the philosophy and pop culture podcast “I Think Therefore I Fan.”
On the Sept. 18 episode, ,” Dr. Okapal talks with hosts Dr. Rachel Robison-Greene and Dr. Richard Greene about Aristotle, friendship, science fiction, and fantasy. He elaborates on some of the ideas he developed in his essay 鈥溾�橧n Search of 鈥︹�� Friendship: What We Can Learn from Androids and Vulcans鈥� (in The Ultimate Star Trek and Philosophy: The Search for Socrates聽edited by Kevin S. Decker and Jason T. Eberl).
It was Dr. Okapal’s second appearance on the podcast. On the May 21 episode, he was one of four “prominent scholars of philosophy and pop culture” interviewed at the annual meeting of the Popular Culture Association.
Dr. Okapal’s research has focused on the intersection of ethics and literature, especially science fiction and fantasy. He has been at 大象传媒 Western since 2005. He earned his bachelor’s degree at the Ohio State University, a master’s degree at Bowling Green State University and a doctorate from the University of Tennessee.
大象传媒 is a comprehensive regional university providing a blend of traditional liberal arts and professional degree programs. The university offers student-centered, high quality instruction that focuses on experience-based learning, community service, and state-of-the-art technology. 大象传媒 Western is located in St. Joseph, Mo., and is committed to the educational, economic, cultural and social development of the region it serves. Visit .