Ryan M. Nefdt Personal Data Address: Arché Research Centre, St Andrews, Scotland Phone: +27 0604087135 email: rmn@st-andrews.ac.uk Academic Interests AOS: AOC: Education Philosophy of Language; Philosophy of linguistics, Metaphysics Semantics; Syntax; Logic; Philosophy of Science; Philosophy of Mathematics; Ancient Philosophy Jan 2014 - Nov 2016 Aug 2011-Aug 2013 Feb 2009 - Jun 2011 Feb 2008 - Dec 2008 PhD in Philosophy University of St Andrews and University of Stirling, United Kingdom Thesis: The Foundations of Linguistics: Mathematics, Models and Structures Supervisors: Dr. Ephraim Glick (St Andrews) and Prof. Josh Dever (Texas, Austin) Examiners: Prof. Zoltan Szabó (Yale) and Assoc. Prof. Patrick Greenough (St Andrews) Master of Science (MSc) in Logic and Linguistics Institute for Logic, Language and Computation (ILLC), University of Amsterdam, the Netherlands Master of Social Science (MSocSci) in Philosophy - Cum Laude University of Cape Town (UCT), South Africa BSocSc (Honours) in Philosophy - Cum Laude University of Cape Town (UCT), South Africa Feb 2005 - Dec 2007 Other Affiliated Positions Bachelor of Social Science (BSocSc) in Philosophy and Political Science, minor in Greek University of Cape Town (UCT), South Africa March - May 2016 Jul -Nov 2015 Jun -Sep 2012 Dec 2010 -May 2011 Aug 2009 -May 2010 Visiting Scholar, Department of Philosophy, Yale University Topic: Natural Language Semantics Advisor: Prof. Zoltan Szabó Research Scholar, Department of Philosophy, University of Texas at Austin Topic: Philosophy of Language and Linguistics Advisor: Prof. Josh Dever Research Scholar, Department of Philosophy, University of Leeds, UK Topic: Topology of Time Advisor: Prof. Robin Le Poidevin Rackham Non-degree Student in Philosophy and Linguistics University of Michigan, Ann Arbor Advisor: Dr. Sarah Moss Research Scholar, Department of Philosophy, University of Michigan Topic: Time and Philosophy of Science Advisor: Prof. Lawrence Sklar
Research and Publications Journal Publications Book Chapters Under Review/In progress Thesis Publications 2016 Scientific Modelling in Generative Grammar and the Dynamic Turn in Syntax. Linguistics and Philosophy, Vol. 39(5): 357-394. 2016 Linguistic Modelling and the Scientific Enterprise. Language Sciences, Vol. 54, pp 43-57. 2013 On the Plurality of Times: Disunified Time and the A-series. South African Journal of Philosophy Vol 32(3), 249-260. 2017 Languages and Other Abstract Structures. In Behme, C. & Neef, M. (eds) Essays on Linguistic Realism, John Benjamins Publishing, Amsterdam. 2016 Formal Semantics and Applied Mathematics. 2016 Structuralism and Inferentialism: A Tale of Two Theories 2016 Three Grades of Mathematical Involvement in Linguistics. 2016 The Foundations of Linguistics: Mathematics, Models, and Structures University of St Andrews and University of Stirling, UK 2013 Constituentless Compositionality: A Compositional Account of Dependency Grammar. University of Amsterdam, ILLC Master of Logic series 2010 The Metaphysics of Time: Investigations in Tense-Logic and a B-series semantics. University of Cape Town Master s thesis archive
Scholarships and Awards Apr. 2015 Apr. 2015 Jan. 2015 Jun. 2014 Jan. 2014 Jan. 2014 Jun. 2011 Jun. 2011 Jun. 2010 Jun. 2009 Jun. 2009 Jun. 2009 Jan 2009 Jan. 2009 Jan. 2009 Jan. 2009 Arché Research Scholar Award - Travel and accommodation at UT Austin CAPOD Conference Award - provided by University of St Andrews career centre St Leonard s Doctoral Scholarship - tuition award administered by St Andrews Golden Key International Summit Travel grant - provided for accepted workshop St Andrews and Stirling Scholarship (SASP) - PhD maintenance scholarship National Research Foundation (NRF) Doctoral Abroad Scholarship Erasmus Mundus Scholarship for Study in the Netherlands (2011-2013) - MSc award Scarbrow Trust Study Abroad Scholarship (2011) - MSc award Harry Oppenheimer Memorial Trust Scholarship - for international research Reese-Miller International Scholarship (2009-2010) - UCT to Michigan German Book Prize - UCT McKinsey & Company s Golden Key Chapter Award Winner for Academic Merit National Research Foundation (NRF) Prestigious Research Scholarship - MSocSci Andrew W. Mellon Scholarship for Academic Merit - MSocSci Award UCT Research Scholarship - MSocSci award Ernst and Ethel Eriksen Trust Scholarship - MSocSci Award Dec. 2008 Douallier Prize for Latin Dec. 2008 Two class medals for top grades in Latin Jan 2008 NRF Honours degree Scholarship Jan. 2008 UCT Merit Scholarship for Honours degree Dec. 2007 Class medal for top grade in Ancient Greek Jan. 2007 Humanities Faculty Undergraduate Merit Award Languages English: Afrikaans: Xhosa: Ancient Greek: Latin: Dutch: Spanish: German: Russian: First Language Second Language Conversational Advanced translation knowledge Translation knowledge Intermediate knowledge Basic knowledge Basic knowledge Basic Knowledge
Presentations and Conferences Mar 2016 Nov 2015 July 2015 Jun 2015 Jun 2015 May 2015 Mar 2015 Feb 2015 July 2014 Feb 2014 March 2013 June 2009 Jan 2009 Yale Semantics Seminar Yale University, USA Talk: Three Grades of Mathematical Involvement in Linguistics Arché Workshop on Inferentialism Talk: Inferentialism, the structuralism of semantics? Postgraduate Philosophical Society University of Leeds, UK Invited Talk: Three Grades of Mathematical Involvement in Linguistics Foundations of Linguistics Workshop: Languages as Abstract Objects Braunschweig Institute of Technology, Germany Talk: Linguistics as a Science of Abstract Structures Linguistics and English Language Postgraduate conference University of Edinburgh, UK Talk: Modelling and The Dynamic Turn in Syntax Philang 2015 conference on the Philosophy of language and linguistics University of Lodz, Poland Talk: Scientific Modelling and Generative Grammar The 10th Newcastle upon Tyne Postgraduate Conference in Linguistics University of Newcastle, UK Talk: Scientific Modelling and Syntax The 16th Szklarska Poreba Workshop on the Role of Linguistics in Cognitive Science, Szrenica, Poland Talk: Linguistic Modelling in Cognitive Science Golden Key Society International Summit, Boston, USA Talk: Critical Thinking across Disciplines: Logic as a foreign language Stirling SASP Graduate Philosophy Seminar, University of Stirling, UK Talk: Doing Philosophy with Linguistics: The Katzian turn in Philosophy The 14th Szklarska Poreba Workshop on Negation, Szrenica, Poland Talk: A bidirectional Optimality Theoretic analysis of Afrikaans negation Institute for Humane Studies Social Change Workshop, Brown University, USA Topic: Social Change South African Graduate Philosophy Conference, Talk: Death, Deprivation and Spacetime
Teaching Experience Aug 2016 Jun 2016 Jan 2016 Jan 2015 November 2014 September 2014 Aug 2008 & 2009 Feb 2008 Philosophy department tutor, Philosophy Tutoring and grading of three undergraduate courses in Business Ethics, Ethics and Great Philosophers St Andrews Foundation Programme Lecturer, Philosophy Designed curriculum, lectured and conducted tutorials for international student programme in philosophy St Andrews Foundation Programme Tutor, Philosophy Ran 2 seminars for international student bridging course in philosophy PhD Teaching assistant, Reasoning and Knowledge Tutored 2 sessions of 10 students for 1st year philosophy module in basic propositional and predicate logic, and epistemology Guest lecturer, Ancient Philosophy Lectured in 2nd year philosophy module PhD Teaching assistant, Ancient Philosophy Tutored 3 sessions of 10 students for 2nd year philosophy module in the works of Plato, Aristotle and other Greek philosophers Tutor, Foundations in Philosophy, Tutored 2 sessions of 10 students during 3-week introduction to critical thinking and philosophical concepts Tutor, Introduction to Philosophy, Held weekly tutorial session and graded coursework for section of 30 undergraduate students
Working Experience Feb 2015 Research Assistant for Liberating Content (2015), by Herman Cappelen, and Ernest Lepore, Rutgers, University of New Jersey, USA Wrote chapter abstracts, index and proofread manuscript for forthcoming publication with Oxford University Press Dec 2014 Jul 2011 Aug 2010 Skills Philosophy Librarian, Maintained and organised the department of philosophy s library Program Coordinator, Telluride Association Summer Program, USA Supervised and managed day-to-day activities for 32 advanced placement students as part of 6-week intensive academic summer program; worked closely with programme faculty to ensure successful and enriching seminar University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, USA Examinations Grader, Introduction to Philosophy, Academic mentoring Proofreading LaTex Python MS Office
Activities Feb 2015- Current Jan 2014- Current Jan 2015- current Jan 2014- Jan 2015 Jan 2014- Jan 2015 Feb 2014- Current Jun 2014- Current June 2010- Current Oct 2011- Aug 2013 Sep 2009 - Dec 2009 April 2009 - Jul 2009 Mentor for Women and Minorities Scheme in Philosophy at Arché Research Centre at Selected as PhD member of the Arché Research Institute in Language, Logic and Epistemology Arché Research Centre at PhD researcher in History and Philosophy of Logic and Mathematics project Principal Investigator: Prof. Stephen Read Arché Research Centre at PhD researcher in Propositions/Indexicality in Language and Thought/Time and Tense project Principal Investigator: Prof. Herman Cappelen Arché Research Centre at PhD researcher in Models, Meaning and Modality project Principal Investigator: Prof. Stephen Read Reviewer for the South African Journal of Philosophy (SAJP) Reviewer for the British Journal of Undergraduate Philosophy (BJUP) Telluride Association in Ithaca, NY, USA Elected to Board of Trustees of 501(c)3 non-profit focused on higher education ($2M annual budget; $60M endowment) Manage Association s overseas exchange scholarship at University of Cape Town and University of Michigan, including publicity, information sessions, application evaluation and candidate interviews Master of Logic Oversight Committee University of Amsterdam, the Netherlands Student representative, Responsible for review and recommendations on course offerings and staff hiring for MSc programme Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR-UP) in Detroit, MI, USA Mentored highschool students from disadvantaged backgrounds in southeast Michigan UCT Township Debating League in Cape Town, RSA Taught debating techniques to underprivileged highschool students