Ashby Butnor has a PhD in comparative philosophy with emphases in East Asian philosophies and cross-cultural ethics, as well as a graduate certificate in interdisciplinary feminist studies from the University of Hawai’i, Manoa. Her work in philosophy is pluralistic in nature, with particular interest in issues of embodied knowing and moral cultivation. Her dissertation and subsequent work investigates the embodied dimensions of moral perception and action through a plurality of traditions, including the enactive theory of cognitive science, Buddhist philosophy, phenomenology, and feminist theory. The aim is to demonstrate the role of our embodied capacities (such as cognition, perception, affectivity, and action) in establishing moral concern and responsibilities, demonstrating ethical know-how, and promoting care for others.

Ashby’s co-edited volume, Asian and Feminist Philosophies in Dialogue: Liberating Traditions (Columbia University Press, 2014) introduces the field of feminist comparative philosophy and the growing dialogue between contemporary feminist theory and the classical texts and philosophical traditions of Asia. In establishing this newly defined field of inquiry, the volume includes a range of philosophical topics including issues in philosophy of mind, ethics, epistemology, social-political philosophy, and phenomenology.

Prior to CSU, Ashby held faculty and administrative positions at the University of Colorado Denver, Metropolitan State University of Denver, Wells College, and Ithaca College.  In addition to teaching and research, she has extensive experience in student success initiatives, including first-year seminars, learning communities, service learning, and global education. Some recent projects include a voyage with Semester at Sea, education abroad in Ghana, curricular and assessment work for the all-university core curriculum, and a seminar on Happiness for the Green & Gold initiative.