Teresa Bruno Nino is a philosophy PhD candidate at the Syracuse University philosophy department. She is currently living in State College, PA, working on her dissertation and teaching philosophy at Penn State.
What are you working on right now?
I’m writing on the concepts of resonance and alienation, especially as related to well-being. Part of the project is to understand better what those concepts are all about. I am interested in how a person’s perception of her own well-being can affect what can be good for that person. I lean towards objectivism, so I am also thinking about how, if at all, objectivism can account for the importance of a person’s perspective.
What excites you about philosophy?
I find many topics in philosophy exciting. Well-being, of course, and others that have an impact on contemporary issues of social justice, especially philosophy of immigration and prison reform. However, what I’ve always been the most excited about is the philosophical way of thinking. I love that philosophy challenges even the most established points of view. In philosophy, at least that’s the spirit, you shouldn’t shut up and do as you’re told. One is encouraged to think for oneself and have one’s own views. Not only is that encouraged, but that’s the whole point! That shocked me when I took my first philosophy class in high school and it shocks me today. I feel especially fortunate to give my students the chance to think philosophically too. Hopefully as a profession we are moving towards making that ideal closer and closer to a reality.
What do you like to do outside work?
These days I’m taking an online portrait drawing class. My instructor tells me that I need to draw what I see, not what I believe I see. As it turns out, I believe that eyes are way farther apart from each other than they are. Ah, the things I learn about myself in drawing class. I’ll keep trying. Growing up in Mexico I used to watch telenovelas (soap operas) with my family, especially the classics. But I was not a big fan. I have now developed a taste for telenovelas, especially Mexican, but also Colombian. I also like telenovela-like series in short format (don’t get me started on the metaphysical issue of what counts as a telenovela). I am enjoying the slow pace that allows a complex story to unfold and for character development. I like the drama too! Do get in touch for recommendations.
Name a trait, skill or characteristic that you have that others may not know about.
I dance salsa and bachata. In what feels like a distant past, before the pandemic I was taking a class. After class, I would go to a dancing event with friends, in packed venues, indoors. I’d even dance with strangers! I know! How well do I dance? No comment, next question.
What cause or charity do you care about most?
Tough to pick one; I care a great deal about immigration issues, prison reform and global poverty. But the cause that’s closest to my heart is probably literacy. Several of my relatives and my neighbors growing up struggle to read, to write and with basic math. So I’ve seen first-hand how limiting it can be not to have those skills that so many of us have the fortune to take for granted in our lives. I took English classes before coming to the US to study and it was tough being in a country where Spanish, my native language, is not the norm. I can only imagine how hard it is when one doesn’t speak the language at all. A small contribution to the cause is my volunteering in State College, PA as an English tutor to Spanish speakers who are learning English.
What advice do you wish someone had given you?
Both in life and professionally, appreciate the uniqueness of your own path and honor it. Often one gets the message that there’s only one right way of doing things. One right way to be a philosopher, one right way of enjoying life and so on. But we all have our own preferences, goals, strengths, health issues, struggles, social standing. I guess this advice is out there, but I wish that as a community we talked more about how to celebrate our differences and help each other lead lives that are best for each of us.
What do you like the most about teaching?
Bringing philosophy to the lives of my students and showing them that philosophy is for them too. I love it when I get them to think philosophically about issues that matter in their lives. Last semester in my political philosophy class, we talked about critiques to the US prison system. I am so proud of my student who reached out asking for more bibliography. She thought that there was not enough knowledge and discussion in her community about the issue. She started an initiative to change the high school curriculum to include more material on the topic.
This section of the APA Blog is designed to get to know our fellow philosophers a little better. We’re including profiles of APA members that spotlight what captures their interest not only inside the office, but also outside of it. We’d love for you to be a part of it, so please contact us via the interview nomination form here to nominate yourself or a friend.
Dr. Sabrina D. MisirHiralall is an editor at the Blog of the APA who currently teaches philosophy, religion, and education courses solely online for Montclair State University, Three Rivers Community College, and St. John’s University.
