Jennifer McCrickerd

Jennifer McCrickerd was born in California and graduated from Wellesley College with a degree in Philosophy. While in graduate school pursuing a doctorate in Philosophy, she realized that what she loved most was teaching philosophy, particularly, ethics, and exploring moral epistemology (the study of determining which moral theories we ought to accept), specifically looking at the work of John Rawls.

Jennifer places herself within the tradition of American Philosophy (seeing as predecessors Ralph Waldo Emerson, Josiah Royce, William James, John Dewey). During her 25+ years at Drake University she has taught a wide variety of courses on ethics (AI & ethics, environmental ethics, business ethics, general ethics), political philosophy (particularly theories of justice), higher education (history, present and future), and, sometimes, courses on dogs, pets, friendship, happiness and more.

Jennifer has recently stepped down from a decade as Director of the Drake University Honors Program. Her current scholarship is in the area of teaching and learning, centered on how college students learn, what is most beneficial to their success after college and ways that teachers can create environments that are most conducive to learning. She also continues to be interested in issues of ethical concern in higher education. She enjoys working with students as a coach, helping them to prepare for or make the best of college, working with departments to enhance their functioning, working with members in higher ed administration to be more effective with their teams and working with people outside of higher ed who are interested in improving any aspect of their work or personal life.