Julie Pedersen, PhD

Dr. Julie Pedersen is an assistant professor of Philosophy in the Academic Engagement Center at the University of Arizona Global Campus. She began her education at Loyola University as a biology major, but after taking her first philosophy course, she switched majors and hasn’t looked back since. After receiving her BA in Philosophy from Loyola, she completed a master’s degree and PhD in Philosophy at Purdue University, where she specialized in the work of Descartes and Sartre and the implications of that work for Philosophy of Mind. She returned to Chicago and Loyola, where she taught a variety of courses at their Lake Shore, Downtown, and Medical Center campuses. While taking time off from teaching to raise her family, Dr. Pedersen launched a career in journalism. Starting out as a reporter for local newspapers, she quickly advanced to writing feature stories for the Chicago Tribune Sunday edition. In addition to her academic work and teaching, Dr. Pedersen is the author of several screenplays which have won awards or honors in various competitions such as the Austin Film Festival and the Nicholl Fellowship in Screenwriting, which is affiliated with the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Her screenplays draw heavily from her philosophy background and her Chicago Improv comedy training. Dr. Pedersen began working for the University of Arizona Global Campus in 2009. She strives to bring all aspects of her experience to the online classroom by engaging her students, sharing her knowledge, and nurturing their writing skills. She especially likes sharing the tools and insights philosophy has to offer. A resident of Chicago, Dr. Pedersen enjoys the diverse student population at The University of Arizona Global Campus. “The online classroom is a remarkable and exciting educational experience that can bring into the same classroom a grandmother from Alabama, a dad working two jobs in Colorado, and a soldier in Afghanistan.”