What Can You Do With A Philosophy Degree?

Brendan Schneiderman

Attorney and Organizer
Pomona College Class of 2014

After Pomona, Brendan worked at an economic analysis consulting firm in the clean energy sector in San Francisco. Four years later, he decided to go to law school to continue his effort to make progressive policies a reality. At Harvard Law School, he interned with the Massachusetts Attorney General, the National Consumer Law Center, and for Senator Elizabeth Warren. After school, he joined the law firm Cohen Milstein, which specializes in advocating for individuals who have been victimized by corporate misconduct. He has worked on matters involving unconstitutional prison conditions, child sexual abuse, stock market manipulation, and human trafficking/forced labor.

Julio Rivero-Sharp

Associate at Outten & Golden
Pomona College Class of 2013

Julio Rivero-Sharp ('13) graduated from Columbia Law School in 2019. After law school, he worked for a year as a judicial law clerk with Judge Lawrence Kahn in the Northern District of New York. Since then, he has worked as a plaintiff-side employment litigator in New York City. Julio is currently an Assistant Attorney General in the Labor Bureau of the Office of the New York State Attorney General.

Bernice B. Yu

Lawyer
Pomona College Class of 2010

Bernice B. Yu is an associate at Cleary Gottlieb in New York. Her practice focuses on corporate and financial transactions. She joined the firm in 2014 after receiving a J.D. degree from Yale Law School, where she served as Diversity and Membership Editor of the Yale Law Journal. Ms. Yu received an undergraduate degree, cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa, from Pomona College in 2010. She is fluent in Mandarin Chinese and proficient in French.

Tamara Zakim

Deputy Attorney General for the California Department of Justice
Pomona College Class of 2003

Tamara Zakim is Deputy Attorney General for the California Department of Justice, where she represents California's natural resource and environmental agencies in state and federal court. Previously, she was an associate attorney at Earthjustice, a national nonprofit law firm that enforces and defends environmental laws, pro bono, on behalf of environmental organizations, community groups and other nonprofit clients. Tamara sits on the Board of Directors for OUT for Sustainability, a nonprofit that works to mobilize the LGBT community for environmental and social action, and she is the former co-chair of Pride Law Fund, a non-profit that funds new leaders and civil rights lawyers in the LGBT and HIV/AIDS communities. While at Pomona she won two SCIAC championships as a member and team captain of the women's basketball team, and she earned her Juris Doctorate degree from Georgetown University Law Center in 2010. She lives in Oakland, California.

Jason Linder

Partner, Litigation
Pomona College Class of 1997

Jason Linder is a white collar partner at the law firm Willkie, Farr & Gallagher, where he chairs its its Foreign Corrupt Practices Act Practice. Previously, he chaired the white collar practices at two other prominent firms and served for ten years as a prosecutor at the U.S. Department of Justice. Jason graduated cum laude from the Harvard Law School and served as a law clerk to the Honorable Stanley Marcus on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit. He and his family live in Los Angeles.

Jason Sheasby

Lawyer
Pomona College Class of 1997

Partner in the Litigation Department of Irell & Manella LLP. Member of the Executive Committee that manages the firm. Member, Board of Trustees, Pomona College. Co-Founder, TORL Biotherapeutics.

Randolph Ortlieb

Lawyer
Pomona College Class of 1983

Randolph Ortlieb is the founder of Palomar Law Group. After graduating from Pomona with a BA in philosophy, he attended Washington University in St. Louis School of Law. He is also a philanthropist and volunteer to many organizations throughout San Diego County, and was recently appointed to the Board of Directors for the Escondido Charitable Foundation.

Edith Harris

Clinical Psychologist
Pomona College Class of 2013

Edie double majored in Philosophy and German Studies. After Pomona, she worked with several nonprofit organizations including the San Francisco Veterans Affairs Medical Center and University of California, San Francisco, researching addiction, brain injury, and posttraumatic stress. Edie then completed a Master’s degree in Germany which blended neuroscience and philosophy. Currently, Edie is finishing a doctoral degree in clinical psychology from the PGSP-Stanford PsyD Consortium. She uses an existential lens to treat cognitive, emotional, and behavioral conditions.

Johanna Glaser

Physician
Pomona Class of 2010

“I remember a lot of people asked me, ‘What are you going to do with philosophy? What’s the practical application?’ But to me, the questions of how to find purpose and how to live ethically and according to my values felt essential to my every day.” Glaser is currently preparing for a career in palliative care by studying the experiences of underserved women with advanced breast cancer during her final year of medical school at University of California, San Francisco. “There’s a lot of room for these philosophical and soulful questions within palliative and hospice care. That’s absolutely part of why I’m drawn to it.” Prior to beginning medical school, she helped to develop a women’s empowerment nonprofit organization in Ghana and volunteered at a Planned Parenthood in the U.S. “I remember being nervous that I wouldn’t get into schools because I had such a nontraditional path. But I think if you really know why you want to be a physician, and you’ve done the work for your post-bac classes and the MCAT, the world of medicine is just as open to you as to someone who was pre-med from the start.”

Libby Banks

Psychotherapist & Writer
Pomona College Class of 2007

Libby is a licensed psychotherapist and writer. She is developing Contextual Systems Therapy, an open-source therapeutic modality integrating disability justice principles with clinical practice and works primarily with gifted autistic and AuDHD adults. Her writing explores neurodivergence, embodiment, and the ethics of care under constraint.

Hal Jakle

Physician
Pomona College Class of 2007

After graduating with a BA in philosophy at Pomona, Hal attended University of California Irvine’s medical program to become a physician. He is currently completing his residency at Kern Medical Center in Bakersfield, CA and is practicing medicine in their emergency department.

Brian Jensen

Doctor and Professor
Pomona College Class of 1993

Brian Jensen is a Professor of Medicine and Pharmacology at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine. Dr. Jensen is a physician-scientist with a clinical and investigative focus on heart failure. He has clinical certification in Advanced Heart Failure/Transplantation and directs the UNC Cardio-oncology clinic. His laboratory studies the pathophysiological and molecular response to myocardial injury with a focus on adrenergic receptor biology and the cardiotoxicity of targeted cancer therapies.

David Holmes

Advisor
Pomona College Class of 1997

David Holmes advises clients on geopolitical and global market risks at TDI, a leading strategic advisory and risk intelligence firm, following a career as a Senior Foreign Service Officer at the U.S. Department of State. He served as Acting Ambassador in Hungary and led the political sections in Ukraine and Russia, following earlier overseas postings in India, Afghanistan, Colombia, and Kosovo. In Washington, he served on the Secretary's Policy Planning Staff, at the National Security Council, and as a Special Assistant to the Under Secretary of State. A Diplomatic Fellow at Georgetown University, he holds degrees from Pomona College, the University of St. Andrews (Scotland), and Princeton University.

Brian Schatz

Senator
Pomona College Class of 1994

Brian Schatz grew up in Hawaii and attended Pomona College to earn his BA in philosophy. After graduating, he moved back to Hawaii and became active in the community. He served as CEO of Helping Hands Hawaii and director of the Makiki Community Library and of the Center for a Sustainable Future. In March 2010, Schatz stepped down from Helping Hands to run for lieutenant governor. He currently represents Hawaii in the U.S. Senate.

Greg Hickey

Author/Screenwriter
Pomona College Class of 2008

Greg Hickey graduated from Pomona with a BA in philosophy, and then attended University of Illinois in Chicago to receive a Master’s degree in forensic science. He has written three novels, one screenplay, and has his own blog, where he discusses a variety of issues at the intersection of health, fitness, sports, philosophy and society.

Owen Wiseman

Writer
Pomona College Class of 2005

Owen went to Pomona College and graduated in 2005. While at Pomona he studied philosophy, writing, and Japanese. At Pomona, Owen completed his first novel called Seeds, a science-fiction piece that explores basic definitions of humanity and consciousness. Owen has written over a dozen screenplays, the last of them being Samurai's Blood, which is currently in development at Benaroya Pictures.

Eric Oldrin

Director and co-founder
Pomona College Class of 1995

Eric is an award-winning director and co-founder of Original Model, a modern creative agency designed to amplify human truth and talent through emerging technology. He has led innovation across emerging platforms from Meta to Macromedia, building ideas and guiding partners through new creative spaces. He’s worked with everyone from David Lynch to Tim Burton, Paramount to CAA, Pepsi to the Paralympics and lives in Piedmont, CA with his wife, two kids, two cats and one very good dog.

Paul Guay

Writer, Actor, Director, Teacher, Husband, Dad
Pomona College Class of 1979

Paul graduated cum laude with a double major in English and philosophy, figuring if the career in writing didn’t work out, he always had philosophy to fall back on. A screenwriter whose movies have grossed over half a billion dollars, Paul conceived and co-wrote Liar, Liar, co-wrote The Little Rascals and Heartbreakers, and did the polish of The NeverEnding Story that got the movie made. He taught screenwriting at ArtCenter College of Design, where he received the Great Teacher Award. His one regret in life is that he doesn’t get two regrets.

Eliot Frost

Manager
Pomona College Class of 2013

Eliot graduated from Pomona College with a BA in philosophy and a minor in economics and politics. He currently works as the risk & operations manager for the financial service organization McKinsey & Company in the greater New York City area.

Josh Rosenberg

Nonprofit Researcher
Pomona College Class of 2013

Josh graduated from Pomona with a double major in Philosophy and Economics. He currently works as a Senior Research Analyst at GiveWell where he does research on charities to help donors decide where to give.

Nicolas D’Andre

Investment Analyst
Pomona College Class of 2011

Nicolas graduated from Pomona with a BA in philosophy, and is currently studying at Yale University to receive his Master’s in Business Administration. He currently works at McKinsey & Company Investment Office as a multi-billion dollar manager and invests on behalf of the McKinsey & Company Partnership.

Danielle Joseph

Businesswoman
Pomona College Class of 2010

Danielle Joseph graduated from Pomona with a double major in Philosophy and Politics and a minor in Religious Studies. She then attended the University of Connecticut for accounting, and the Stanford University Graduate School of Business for her MBA. She currently works at Venture Capital & Private Equity in Palo Alto, CA.

Will Beach

International Economist
Pomona College Class of 2003

After graduating from Pomona with a BA in philosophy, Will Beach attended the University of Chicago Booth School of Business for is Master’s in Business Administration in finance and economics. Will currently works for the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s office of Europe and Eurasia.

Dan Kim

Chief Financial Officer
Pomona College Class of 1997

Dan is Chief Financial Officer of Crothall Laundry Services, a leading provider of linen services to the healthcare industry across 20 states and portfolio company of Miami-based H.I.G. Capital. Prior to joining Crothall, Dan was a Finance Operating Partner at H.I.G. where he supported portfolio company operations in often very challenging situations, including as Interim CFO at multiple companies. Prior to H.I.G., Dan started and successfully exited Veritable Screening, a company in the background check industry, and worked as an investment banker for nearly a decade. His prior firms include Macquarie Bank, Jefferies & Co., and Houlihan Lokey. Dan received his B.A. in Philosophy from Pomona College where he studied abroad at University College in Oxford, England and East China Normal University in Shanghai, China. He also received his M.B.A. from the UCLA Anderson School of Management with a focus in finance.

David Holmes

Advisor
Pomona College Class of 1997

David Holmes advises clients on geopolitical and global market risks at TDI, a leading strategic advisory and risk intelligence firm, following a career as a Senior Foreign Service Officer at the U.S. Department of State. He served as Acting Ambassador in Hungary and led the political sections in Ukraine and Russia, following earlier overseas postings in India, Afghanistan, Colombia, and Kosovo. In Washington, he served on the Secretary's Policy Planning Staff, at the National Security Council, and as a Special Assistant to the Under Secretary of State. A Diplomatic Fellow at Georgetown University, he holds degrees from Pomona College, the University of St. Andrews (Scotland), and Princeton University.

Peter Sasaki

Investor
Pomona College Class of 1991

After graduating from Pomona with a BA in philosophy, Peter attended New York University’s Leonard N. Stern School of Business for his MBA. He currently works as an owner and managing member of the financial consulting and research firm CGS Associates LLC in the greater New York City area. He also serves as a shareholder and investor at Centara Capital Group Inc. in San Diego, where he manages capital markets and structuring and advises private wealth management programs.

Jay Cornish

Marketing Executive
Pomona College Class of 1980

Jay entered Pomona as a premed major but after taking Prof Stephen Erickson's Intro to Philosophy class he was hooked on philosophy. After Pomona, Jay earned a MA in Anthropology from Stanford and a MBA from the University of Washington. He recently retired after 40 years in the information technology industry working in software startups and large global enterprises. Jay credits Pomona for equipping him with the broad perspective and problem-solving skills needed to flexibly navigate an ever-changing, complex world.

Brad Fishel

Organization and Leadership Development
Pomona College Class of 1972

In college I was often asked, “What are you going to do—become a corporate philosopher?” Well, I sort of did. I spent my career helping leaders think more deeply about strategy, culture, and leadership. Over time I realized the work always came down to opening and closing gaps—the space between existing and better. Today I'm working to share Gapswork: a simple core map, and the philosophy and natural practices that grow from it. I want people to become better problem solvers so they can lead better lives and make better history.

Joseph Fraizer

Retired from the Laser Industry
Pomona College Class of 1970

Formerly worked as a public assistance administrator (Food Stamps, MediCal, AFDC, etc.), a janitor (good job for a philosophy major), followed by 35 years in the laser industry in Silicon Valley (technician, engineer, manager; designed and built laser manufacturing facilities in the USA, Germany, Malaysia, Korea, and China).

While studying philosophy at Pomona, I had the pleasure of having Steve Erickson as my advisor.

Sam Khasnavis

Researcher/Chemical Scientist
Pomona College Class of 2021

Graduating from Pomona with a BA in Philosophy and Chemistry, Sam began attending Stanford University chemistry Ph.D. program. There, Sam’s research involves the design, synthesis, and applications of polymers for gene delivery. Sam would cogently argue that his experiences in philosophy and molecular science uniquely prepare him for intellectual property law, a path he is considering following his Ph.D.. Sam also enjoys weightlifting, 3d printing, and cookie dough.

Juan Pablo Flores

Educator
Pomona College Class of 2003

After graduating from Pomona, Juan received a M.A. and a Ph.D. in Education from the Claremont Graduate University. He taught middle school in the Compton Unified School District for 17 years before moving on to teach in Montebello Unified, where he’s been ever since. Though he has also earned an Administrative Services Credential, his purpose is in his work as an educator, which has been gained through the understanding of ethical, socio, existential, epistemological and religious points of view. He loves what he does, and is eternally grateful for having studied philosophy. "It reminds me to think things through at least six different ways before even trying to understand it, because every student deserves that." He wishes you all the best.

Lew Bagby

Pomona College Class of 1966

After graduation from Pomona (’66), Lew entered graduate school at Stanford University in Slavic Languages and Literatures. With an M.A. in hand focused on Russian literature (’69), he entered the PhD program in Slavic at the University of Michigan (’72), after which he took up teaching Russian language and literature at the University of Wyoming that lasted a career of 37 years, the final 12 of which were directed toward the internationalization of campus, from students to faculty and administrators. He retired in 2007 and continues to live in Laramie, Wyoming for the same reasons that brought him there (other than for work) — the outdoors (thank you mother and father), the simplicity of life in the rural U.S. (thank you Tolstoy for valorizing rural people and places), the clean air and pure water (thank you no industrialization in Wyoming), and the friendly, live-and-let-live directness of the population. For twenty years he managed a state-to-state exchange program between Wyoming and Saratov Province, Russia. He published in the area of 19^th century Russian literature, which originally drew him as a high school student who found the classics philosophical in nature (thank you Stephen Erickson, Fred Sontag, et al for teaching me how correct and incorrect my thinking was in regard to that belief).

Baleigh McCuskey

Coach
Pomona College Class of 2019

A native of Reno, Nevada, Baleigh majored in philosophy, played four years of Softball at Pomona-Pitzer, was named team captain her senior year, and served as student-athletic trainer during her undergraduate years. After graduating from Pomona with a BA in philosophy, Baleigh became Director of Football Operations of the Pomona-Pitzer Football team. Recently, she was promoted to Outside Linebackers Coach, joining the shortlist of female position coaches in NCAA Division III football. She is also an assistant strength and conditioning coach for the Sagehens, as well as an assistant coach for the Pomona-Pitzer softball team.

Tena Thau – Pomona 2014
Research Fellow in Political Philosophy, University College London

Daniel Moerner - Pomona 2013
Assistant Professor, University of Chicago

Zachary Barnett - Pomona 2011
Assistant Professor, University of Notre Dame

Sameer Bajaj – Pomona 2006
Assistant Professor, University of Warwick

Philipp Koralus – Pomona 2005
Professor of Philosophy, Institute for Ethics in AI, University of Oxford

Stephen White – Pomona 2005
Associate Professor at Northwestern University prior to his death in 2021.

Jennifer Nado – Pomona 2004
Assistant Professor of Philosophy, Lingnan University-Hong Kong

Jorah Dannenberg – Pomona 2001
Assistant Professor of Philosophy Department, Stanford

Luca Struble – Pomona 1997
Instructor, Long Beach City College and El Camino College

Sheldon Smith – Pomona 1991
Professor of Philosophy, UCLA, emeritus

Deborah Smith – Pomona 1990
Associate Professor of Philosophy, Kent State University

Guy Rohrbaugh – Pomona 1990
Associate Professor of Philosophy, Auburn

Shelby Weitzel – Pomona 1990
Assistant Professor of Philosophy, College of the Holy Cross 2002-2009. Currently High School Engagement Coordinator at Treehouse for Kids

Micah Hester - Pomona 1988
Professor of Medical Humanities & Bioethics, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences

David Braun – Pomona 1978
Professor of Philosophy, SUNY Buffalo

Rachel Cohon – Pomona 1975
Professor of Philosophy, SUNY-Albany

David Hunt - Pomona 1974
Professor of Philosophy, Whittier College

John McCumber – Pomona 1967
Professor of Germanic Languages, UCLA

John Roth – Pomona 1962
Emeritus Professor of Philosophy, Claremont McKenna College

Jim Bogen – Pomona 1957
Professor of Philosophy, University of Pittsburgh

Christopher Gowans - Pomona
Professor of Philosophy, Fordham University