Thomas A. Kerns, Ph.D.
Curriculum Vitae
Social Science Division
North Seattle Community
College
9600 College Way North
Seattle, WA 98103
(206) 526-7014
tkerns@u.washington.edu
tkerns@sccd.ctc.edu
EDUCATION
University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN. 1961-65.
B.A. (1965) Great Books Program.Marquette University, Milwaukee, WI. 1965-67; 1971-73.
M.A. (1967) in Philosophy. Thesis: "True Humanism in Jacques Maritain."
Ph.D. (1973) in Philosophy. Dissertation on the Nature of Consciousness.American University in Cairo, Cairo, Egypt. Fulbright-Hays Scholarship, Summer, 1988.
Graduate work toward an MPH, University of Washington School of Public Health, 1995 - present.
TEACHING EXPERIENCE
North Seattle Community College, Seattle, WA 98103. (1976 - present). Introduction to Philosophy, Logic, Introduction to Ethics, Medical Ethics, Philosophy of Religion, Death & Dying
Seattle University, Seattle, WA 98122-4460, (1991 - present) Adjunct Associate Professor in Philosophy. Philosophy of Person; Senior Seminar: Ethics & War.
St. Martin's College, Olympia, WA 98503, (1973-76). Assistant Professor in Philosophy and Social Science. (Left St. Martin's to take present position.)
University of Portland, Portland, OR 97203 (1970-71). Assistant Professor in Philosophy. Philosophy of Person, Ethics, History of Philosophy. (Left UP to complete PhD Studies.)
St Ambrose University, Davenport, IA 52803 (1967-69). Instructor in Philosophy. Introduction to Philosophy, History of Philosophy, Ethics, Philosophy of Religion.
PART TIME TEACHING
Marquette University, Milwaukee, WI 53233 (1972-73).
University of Wisconsin, Fond du Lac, WI (1973).
Alverno College, Milwaukee, WI 53215 (1972-73).
PUBLICATIONS
Environmentally Induced Illnesses: Ethics, Risk Assessment and Human Rights , (2001, McFarland)
Ethical Issues in HIV Vaccine Trials, St Martin's Press (Macmillan Ltd, in the UK), 1997.
Jenner On Trial: The Ethics of Vaccine Research in the Age of Smallpox and the Age of AIDS, University Press of America, 1997.
"Ethical Issues in HIV Vaccine Trials in Developing Nations," paper presented at Institute on Human Rights & Cultural Diversity, University of Washington, Bothell, October, 1994
"My Dream: An Ontological Exploration," Gamut , Winter, 1993
"On Reading," Gamut , Fall, 1989
"On Monasteries of the Egyptian Desert,"
The American University in Cairo, Fulbright-Hays Summer Seminars Papers. 1988."On Becoming Real," Faith Development Journal , vol 2, #1, Jan 80.
"Contemplative and Mystical Traditions in the West: Plato to the Present." Conference titled "Philosophy Where Are You?" Dominican College, San Rafael, CA, Summer 1979."Spiritual Exercise," Yoga Journal, Spring 1976.
"Toward a Phenomenology of the Great Spiritual Traditions," Plexus, Sept 1975. (also delivered at a symposium, The Evergreen State College, Olympia, WA, Spr 1975.)
"Toward a Phenomenology of Consciousness," Nous-Letter , 1975.
"The Mystical Experience and Veridicality," Kinesis, vol 2 (1974), pp 111-133.
RECENT INVITATIONAL LECTURES GIVEN
"Edward Jenner and the Ethics of Smallpox Vaccine Research." Ethics Review Committee, Madigan Army Medical Center, Fort Lewis, WA, 10-98
"Dr Jenner's Incredible Smallpox Vaccine Experiment," Hampshire College, Amherst, MA, 9-97.
"Emerging Environmental Epidemics: Ethics, Health and Human Rights in Chemically Induced Illness," Smith College, Northampton, MA, 9-97
"Ethics, Risk Assessment and Human Rights in Toxicant Induced Illnesses," The Annual Williams Lecture, Newport, OR, April, 1997.
"Ethics, Risk Assessment and Human Rights in Toxicant Induced Illnesses," Conference on Ethics and the Environment, Oregon State Univ Marine Science Center, Newport, May, 1997.
"Ethical Difficulties in HIV Vaccine Trials," delivered to researchers at the World Health Organization, Global Programme on AIDS (now UNAIDS), Geneva, Switzerland, Mar 10, 1995.
Two lectures delivered to various audiences around Washington State, funded by the Washington Commission for the Humanities, Inquiring Mind Lecture Series, "Ethical Quandaries in AIDS Vaccine Trials," and "Edward Jenner's Incredible Smallpox Vaccination Experiment," January 1995 - June 1997.
"AIDS in the World: A Report on the State of the Planet," Feb, Mar, June 1993."The Just War Tradition," (for the Persian Gulf Lecture Series), Mar 1991.
"The Ethics of Mandatory Testing for AIDS," Oct 1988.
"AIDS and Hospitals," (Commentary) Northwest Philosophers Conf, Univ of Idaho,1988
"Introduction to AIDS Ethical Issues," Seattle Community College, Feb 1988.
"Ethical Issues in Institutional AIDS Policies," Seattle Community College, Mar 1988.
30 minute interview on KIRO-TV, Seattle, re my medical ethics and AIDS course, June 1988.
Interview on KIRO-TV, Seattle, re my medical ethics and AIDS course at NSCC, Aug 1988.
FOREIGN EXPERIENCE
Travel in Switzerland, while doing research & delivering lecture at WHO, Mar 1995.
Travel in England, while doing research at the Edward Jenner Museum, Berkeley, UK, Mar 1995.
Travel in Switzerland, while doing research at WHO; sabbatical quarter, Spring 1994.
Poland, Czechoslovakia and Hungary as part of a delegation of 36 researchers in HIV disease (from the U.S. and U.K.) to confer with those countries about their experience and the U.S. experience with the HIV epidemic. Sponsored by People to People International and the Yale University School of Nursing. March-April 1992.
England (London & Oxford) research and vacation, April 1992.
Egypt and the Sinai. Fulbright Scholarship, Summer 1988
People's Republic of China, Hong Kong, and Japan, Summer 1978.Drove AlCan Highway through B C, Alberta, Yukon Territory and Alaska. Summer 1989.
Drove it again, Summer 1992.Alaska, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, & 1994.
MISCELLANEOUS
Awarded a sabbatical to complete the writing of a book on ethics, risk assessment, and human rights in toxicant induced illnesses (1998-99).
Awarded a one-quarter leave by the Washington Online Consortium to design and develop an online Introduction to Philosophy course (Winter 1999).
Awarded a sabbatical year to do research and to write about ethics, risk assessment, and human rights in the controversies surrounding recognition of environmentally induced illness (1996-7).
Awarded a sabbatical quarter to research the global HIV/AIDS pandemic. Did research at Harvard's AIDS Institute, at the World Health Organization, and at the Centers for Disease Control.Awarded two grants to research "the multicultural dimensions of HIV/AIDS" (Spring and Fall 1992).
Given an "Award of Recognition: In honor of your outstanding contribution to education excellence as a community college faculty member in the Northwest," by the Oregon and Washington Community College Councils, by the governors of Oregon and Washington (Oct 1988).
Served on the Ethics Council of Group Health Cooperative (an HMO), 1987-89. The Ethics Council oversees and makes policy for the individual ethics committees in the various GHC Hospitals.
Served on Chemical Injury Council, Seattle, WA. (Secretary 1996). 1996-97.
PERSONAL
- Born: Dec 11, 1942
- Health: good
- One son, two daughters, all grown
- Hobbies: Semiprofessional stone sculptor (marble, alabaster, soapstone); trout fishing, fly-tying; riverboating; reading; ham radio, (FCC Extra Class License AA7ZG); Jogging; hiking.
- Health: good
