Ph.D., University of Texas-Austin, 2019.
Areas of specialization: Environmental Philosophy & Ethics, Comparative Philosophy, the Philosophy of Psychology
Dr. Kimberly Dill is an environmental ethicist and Assistant Professor of Philosophy at Santa Clara University. Through her research and teaching, Dr. Dill articulates a series of arguments in favour of biodiversity, wildness, forest, and dark sky conservation. She contributes to the literature in a distinctive way by critically evaluating empirical research conducted in environmental science and psychology, which demonstrates that there are a variety of worrisome psychophysiological harms associated with the loss of biodiversity, wildness, and natural darkness. This practical approach is situated within a broader ethical framework, which emphasizes the importance of cultivating reciprocal, flourishing relationships with our more-than-human world. Furthermore, transformative, moral emotions–including (but not limited to) reverence, felt connectedness, awe, and wonder–, she posits, motivate us to more fully participate in their successful conservation and regeneration.
During the 2023-2024 academic year, Dr. Dill will be teaching Culture and Ideas I and II, Ethics and the Environment (Phil 29), and Environmental Philosophy & Ethics (Phil 116).