Couch, Mark
biographical statement
Mark Couch, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Department of Philosophy [Seton Hall University]
Professor Couch is interested in the areas of philosophy of science and philosophy of mind. His recent work is centered around the issue of how we should understand functional explanations in the sciences. This topic relates to the nature of reductionism and how the sciences are related to one another. His publications in these areas include "Functional Properties and Convergence in Biology," Philosophy of Science, December 2005, vol. 72, "Multiple Realization in Comparative Perspective," Biology and Philosophy, September 2009, vol. 24, and "Functional Explanation in Context," Philosophy of Science, April 2009, vol. 76. He is currently working on an article to appear in a special issue of Synthese on Philosophy and Neuroscience, titled "Mechanisms and Constitutive Relevance." He is also working on an entry for an online encyclopedia of philosophy on the issue of functional explanation.
Education
Ph.D., Columbia University
B.A., University of California, Berkeley
Academic Distinctions
Provost's Faculty Scholarship Award (2009), Seton Hall University
Supplemental Travel Award (2008), Seton Hall University
Provost's Faculty Scholarship Award (2007), Seton Hall University
Core Fellowship (2002-2005) Columbia University
David H. Siff Philosophy of Science Award (2001), Columbia University