I grew up in Wyoming at the foot of the Big Horn Mountains. Exploring those peaks provided unending opportunity for contemplation and deep concern for natural environments.
I studied philosophy at the University of Wyoming and Rutgers University, taking away a Master's degree from each institution. My research iterests were in the philosophy of language and logic. I'm principally intrigued by the project of studying natural language discourse as a means of limning cognitive structure. I think of conversation as a collaborative inquiry, which is to say that successful contribution to the discourse requires the efforts of multiple parties working in concert, not just serially. I've put together an (as yet incomplete) project exploring this idea, which I call Collaborative Discourse Dynamics.
I worked for the NYC Compost Project hosted by Big Reuse from 2015 to 2018. The public/private joint venture works to educate NYC residents about the virtues of composting, divert organic waste from landfills, and improve city soil. As an Operations Coordinator, I was the principal operator of the Salt Lot Compost Site in Gowanus, Brooklyn where we processed over 5000 pounds of food scraps every week and worked with the Gowanus Canal Conservancy to use our finished compost to improve neighborhood soils.
Currently, I am back in Sheridan, WY with my wife, Caitlin. I do website development for nonprofits and help them build a complete web presence by integrating their operations with web applications for customer maintenace and ecommerce. Some of my projects include Big Reuse and Wyoming Craft Brewers Guild. I also design and manufacture lamps. My style has a touch of the steam-punk, and I like to incorporate my philosophical background into the inspiration for each piece. You can check out some of my work (and even order a llamp of your own) at lettherebe.lighting.
major projects
- Discourse as collaborative inquiry (html) (abstract) This project explores the importance of speculation and dispute in inquiry. I contend that conversation commonly realizes a collaborative inquiry, which is to say that successful contribution to the discourse requires the efforts of multiple parties working in concert, not just serially. The goal of the project is to explain, motivate, and provide a model of implementation for this idea, what I call collaborative discourse dynamics. A notable feature of the model is that it gives conjectures pride of place alongside conversational moves such as assertions and questions.
- Disagreement in Context (pdf) (abstract) Semantic relativism is the thesis that propositions possess a truth value only relative to some non-standard parameter of evaluation such as times, standards, or judges. In this essay, I examine the evidence for judge-relativism provided by discourses involving disagreement over matters of taste. Intuitively, these discourses involve faultless disagreement despite having a point of genuine conflict between them, both parties involved make correct assertions. An analysis of the semantic significance of these discourses reveals a number of criteria that an adequate proposal for the semantics of predicates of personal taste must meet. While relativism offers one adequate proposal, I argue that the semantic contextualist can also adequately account for the intuitions elicited by these discourses. According to the contextualist, the disputants semantically express true propositions that do not conflict. Their disagreement, however, stems from conflicting commitments that arise from certain pragmatic effects of their utterances in the conversation.
research tools
- General philosophy of language (bibliography)
- David Lewis (bibliography)
- Ontic vagueness (bibliography)
- Logic markup (tools)
coursed taught
- Philosophy department, Montclair State University
- Philosophy department, Rutgers University
- Introduction to logic, spring 2015 (syllabus)
- Logic, reason, and persuassion, fall 2014 (syllabus, html syllabus)
- Introduction to ethics, spring 2014 (syllabus, assessment)
- Current moral and social issues, fall 2013 (syllabus, assessment)
- Introduction to philosophy, spring 2012 (syllabus, assessment)
- Introduction to philosophy, fall 2011 (syllabus, schedule)
Mountain Compost
A website dedicated to community-scale composting and geared specifically to mountain environments. It includes a set of data visualization tools (compost calculator, tempurature tracking, and odor analysis), research resources list, and a draft proposal for implementing a mid-scale composting organization.
Let There Be Lighting
A series of steam-punk style lamps that I built in Brooklyn, NY. Each model is inspired by a philosophical figure or idea.
Erik Hoversten
I love conceptual exploration. My educational background is in philosophy and the development of formal systems. I also love applying the fruits of that exploration to practical causes and sharing my journey with others. I've taught philosophy courses at three universities and worked in the nonprofit sector, building and implementing systems to help organizations more efficiently pursue their mission and spread the word.
experience
digital development
Special Projects Manager, Big Reuse (June 2015 — Present)
- Unlocking the organization's potential by searching out inefficiencies and developing improvements in operational systems, such as donation and sales tracking
- developing engaging content for online publications and correspondence and serving as a public voice of the organization
- planning and directing digital outreach strategies via social media, website content, and email campaigns
- communicating with various departments to ensure that outreach schedules are kept and messaging is consistent
- analyzing and increasing customer engagement on the organization's digital platforms by making use of web tracking tools and principles of SEO and SEM
- researching and developing new means of tracking and integrating data across digital channels and experimenting with tools for database manipulation, document and image creation and conversion, infographic development, customer relationship management, ecommerce, form creation, and website development
- verifying and maintaining data integrity and troubleshooting technical issues with staff and the public
- developing approachable internal documentation outlining standard operating procedures for new and existing operational systems
Process Specialist, Rodenstock USA (June 2018 — March 2019)
- Developing long-term scalability of the systems utilized in an eyewear distribution operation and ensuring that the existing system runs smoothly
- Managing account needs related to product ordering, warranties, parts, and repair and providing support for sales staff in the field
- Working with accounting and ordering software for sales record keeping
compost
Operations Coordinator, NYC Compost Project Hosted by Big Reuse (February 2017 — April 2018)
- Launching compost operations at the Salt Lot Compost Site by developing an operations plan, coordinating with regulatory bodies, and liasing with contractors and partner organizations regarding equipment and use of space
- supervising all operations at the Salt Lot Compost Site, processing 12,000 pounds of organic material weekly
- researching, purchasing, and maintaining tools and equipment needed for the composting process, including heavy machinery such as skid steer loaders and compost screeners
- developing and maintaining protocol for quality control, safety, and record keeping at mid-scale composting sites
- serving as a public voice of the organization by developing educational signage and leading tours
Organics Recovery Coordinator/Field Assistant, NYC Compost Project Hosted by Big Reuse (May 2015 — January 2017)
- Providing Queens and Brooklyn residents with information and resources on urban composting and facilitating the diversion of food scrap waste at drop-off sites
- processing organic waste to create compost at two mid-scale composting sites
- operating machinery needed for collection and processing of material, including box trucks, skid steer loaders, tub mixers, chippers, and other small-engine machines
- coordinating volunteer events to clean tree pits, prune trees, and use finished compost to improve the soil
- maintaining records and preparing reports for regulatory and funding bodies for food scrap collection and compost quality
- serving as a public voice of the organization by developing email newsletters, blog posts, and educational outreach materials to improve public understanding of urban composting
philosophy
Part-time Lecturer, Montclair State University (September 2015 — December 2015)
Graduate Teaching Assistant, Rutgers University (September 2011 — May 2015)
- Complete design and administration of undergraduate philosophy courses ranging from 25 to 100 students
- preparing and delivering three hours of lecture materials per week
- designing and assessing exercises, papers, and exams
- creating an atmosphere of free flow of ideas where students feel comfortable to speak openly while also taking in the ideas of their fellow students and those presented in readings and lectures
- serving as an advisor to students outside of class by giving extra course-related support, helping them navigate the university adminstrative weeds, and writing recommendations
references
Justin Green
Founder and Executive Director
Big Reuse and Big Initiatives
justin@bigreuse.org
917-692-8265
Founder and Executive Director
Big Reuse and Big Initiatives
justin@bigreuse.org
917-692-8265
Susanna Goodin
Associate Professor
University of Wyoming Department of Philosophy
goodin@uwyo.edu
307-399-8013
Associate Professor
University of Wyoming Department of Philosophy
goodin@uwyo.edu
307-399-8013
Erik Hoversten
I love conceptual exploration. My educational background is in philosophy and the development of formal systems. I also love applying the fruits of that exploration to practical causes and sharing my journey with others. I've taught philosophy courses at three universities and worked in the nonprofit sector, building and implementing systems to help organizations more efficiently pursue their mission and spread the word.
education
Graduate Certificate in Cognitive Science, Rutgers University Center for Cognitive Science (May 2018)
Discourse as Collaborative Inquiry, Rutgers University (May 2018)
I contend that conversation commonly realizes a collaborative inquiry, which is to say that successful contribution to the discourse requires the efforts of multiple parties working in concert, not just serially. It is the goal of this project to explain, motivate, and provide a model of implementation for this idea, what I call collaborative discourse dynamics.
MA in Philosophy, University of Wyoming (May 2008)
Disagreement in Context, University of Wyoming (May 2008)
I examine the evidence for semantic relativism from discourses involving disagreement over matters of taste. Intuitively, despite having a point of genuine conflict between them, neither party to the disagreement is incorrect in their assertion. I pull out criteria that an adequate proposal for the semantics of predicates of personal taste must meet. While relativism is an adequate proposal, I argue that a contextualist proposal can also account for our intuitions. The key insight is that disagreement can be carried by pragmatic features of utterances, even if there is no semantic conflict.
Outstanding Masters Thesis Award, University of Wyoming School of Arts & Sciences (May 2008)
BA in Philosophy,
- magna cum laude
projects
digital development
Wyo Craft Brewers Guild Website, Wyoming Craft Brewers Guild (April 2019)
A simple WordPress site for a nonprofit organization located in Sheridan, WY. I started with a base theme and developed a custom plugin to create templates for use with a set of custom post types. The customer did not have a lot of web experience, so I put an emphasis on organizing the WordPress admin panel to make content updates simple and intuitive.
Tools:
Tools:
- WordPress
- php
- html
- css
Big Reuse Website, Big Reuse (Launched October 2016)
Management of an overhaul of the public website for Big Reuse, including the design of a mobile-responsive website with a company overview splash page, departmental information pages, staff directory, jobs list, blog page, and social media integrations. The design work included sourcing images, developing design elements collaboratively with staff and managers, and composing content.
Tools:
Tools:
- Wordpress
- html
- css
- javascript
- php
Donations Pipeline, Big Reuse (Phase 1 launched December 2016, Phase 2 launched January 2017)
Development of an automation pipeline to improve the efficiency of materials donations from the customer inquiry phase through adding donated items to inventory. This involved communicating with donations staff regarding their needs, devising an easy-to-use means of acquiring donor information, and translating the data received into formats usable for a variety of web applications. The result is that donors can quickly get a record of their donation for tax purposes and Big Reuse can track the kinds of donations they receive, improve communication with donors, and expand the opportunity for repeat donations.
Tools:
Tools:
- Jotform form building app
- Zapier integration platform
- javascript
Ecommerce and POS Platform, Big Reuse (Launched July 2017, Major update April 2019)
Development of a point of sale system for Big Reuse incorporated with an ecommerce platform. Building the point of sale system involved developing a category structure for store inventory and training staff on the proper procedures for adding new inventory and making sales. The ecommerce platform involved integrating the in-store and online sales channels, duplicating in-store promotions in the ecommerce platform, and designing the user interface for the online store.
Tools:
Tools:
- Lightspeed Retail and Ecommerce POS
- html
- twig php templating
- javascript
Let There Be Lighting, Erik Hoversten (April 2019)
A website to display a series of steam-punk style lamps inspired by philosophical figures and ideas. The website contains a system for placing orders of pre-designed or customized lamps.
compost
Composting Operations Plan, NYC Compost Project Hosted by Big Reuse (December 2017)
Creation of an operations plan for composting at the Salt Lot Compost Site operated by the NYC Compost Project Hosted by Big Reuse. The plan includes detail on feedstock procurement, pile build specifics, monitoring and quality control, and equipment maintenance.
Tools:
Tools:
- Google docs and sheets
- javascript
Compost Data Tracking System, NYC Compost Project Hosted by Big Reuse (Major redesign December 2017)
Data tracking tools for compost site management. The tracking project required devising a means to bring in data from the field and manipulating the data into a human-readable form for easy analysis.
Tools:
Tools:
- Google forms and sheets
Mountain Compost, Erik Hoversten (October 2016)
A set of tools related to community-scale composting geared specifically to mountain environments. The website includes a set of data visualization tools (compost calculator, temperature tracking, and odor analysis), research resources list, and a draft proposal for a implementing a mid-scale composting organization.
Tools:
Tools:
- Jekyll templating engine
- javascript
- html
- css