Patrick Ryan, from Shrewsbury, Massachusetts, is pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in philosophy. A freshman-year course entitled “Exportable
Nation” provided the spark for the research presented in Inquiry, but he was further inspired by a realization that “I
couldn’t even explain what technology was without pointing to a specific invention or tool.” He further notes that he “was
particularly skeptical of claims that technology could be humanity’s salvation.” With funding obtained through a University of
New Hampshire Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF), Patrick studied the works of various philosophers whose ideas addressed the
topics of technology and progress. Patrick describes the most rewarding part of this research as the frequent contact with his advisor,
Dr. David Hiley, which allowed him to explore his interests “while simultaneously gaining the knowledge of an expert.” Patrick
will graduate in the spring of 2009.
Dr. David R. Hiley began working at the University of New Hampshire in 1999 as provost and vice president of academic affairs before moving to the philosophy department in 2004. He met Patrick Ryan during Patrick’s freshman year, and as a result of that early discussion Patrick later sought him out as a Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) mentor. According to Dr. Hiley, serving as Patrick’s mentor was a terrific experience. “He consumed everything I mentioned that he should read, then read thoughtfully, wrote persuasively, and came to our meetings eager with questions and observations,” said Hiley. “It was as stimulating for me as it was for him.” Dr. Hiley specializes in political philosophy, history of modern philosophy, and twentieth-century philosophy. In 2005 he served as a mentor to philosophy student Roger Eichorn, whose research appeared in Inquiry ’06.
Read Patrick Ryan's research article, The Myth of Technological Progress >>
