Recruiting students from across the U.S., Campus is the new alternative to online community college. Our online associate degree in business program consists of 100% live, online classes taught by professors who also teach at top-ranked colleges and universities. Read on to learn more about our talented teaching team.
Dr. Alyssa Lowery has a love for teaching that’s driven by her passion for philosophy and her desire to provide students with the relevant skills and knowledge they need to succeed as they advance in their careers, wherever they’re starting. She’s a celebrated educator with almost a decade of experience teaching philosophy.
Currently, Dr. Lowery teaches first- and second-year students in both general and introductory philosophy courses at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee. And, of course, she’s also delivering instruction for Campus students because she believes in the Campus mission!
“In a perfect world, you wouldn’t be limited in the kind of education you can access by high costs or by where you live. Everyone deserves to learn with teachers who respect and care for them, and to learn about things that have meaning for and value to them.”
Dr. Lowery teaches Introduction to Logic and Critical Thinking, an introductory philosophy course in the Campus program, and she aims to impart the same enlightening experience she had when she first learned about philosophy.
A Love for Philosophy and Questioning Everything
“I didn’t even know what philosophy was before I went to college,” admitted Dr. Lowery. In fact, it was a class titled “World Religions” that she took in her very first semester of undergrad that sparked her love for philosophy.
“I read books by people with incredibly different backgrounds than my own. This immediately raised huge questions for me: Which religion was true? How could we know it was true? What’s the difference between a religion and a philosophy?”
The more she learned about philosophy and its many applications, the more her questions changed and grew in number. In fact, Dr. Lowery shared that she had a special appreciation for the questions themselves even more so than the actual answers.
“I never thought of myself as someone who was going to become a teacher. I always thought getting a Ph.D. in philosophy was just a way to keep having those great conversations, to keep investigating the hardest problems life had to offer with the most seriousness and care,” said Dr. Lowery. “But imagine my surprise when I realized that teaching was actually the thing I loved most in the world! So teaching philosophy it is.”
Right now, she’s researching the types of critiques that philosophy can make of today’s business practices, particularly on employee wellness and the overall modern worker experience.
Why Dr. Lowery Decided to Teach
“Three reasons immediately come to mind. The first is that I love philosophy. Thinking about life’s most difficult, relevant questions with the rigor that philosophy demands is an essential part of what makes life meaningful for me,” Dr. Lowery told Campus. “Doing that thinking, contrary to popular stereotypes of the solitary ‘thinker,’ is often much better when done in conversation with others. And students are really wonderful people to think with!”
The second reason Dr. Lowery shared?
“I want to give students the same world-expanding experience I had. Going to college and learning about philosophy was one of my most valuable life experiences; it gave me the chance to develop a new set of values and norms for myself, and in a really meaningful way, helped me see, understand, and care for other people more richly than I had before.”
While she never expects this to be the experience for every single student she teaches, she certainly hopes it could be the case for some.
“At the very least, I think the tools of thinking that philosophy has to offer benefit students no matter what they do after college.”
Dr. Lowery’s third and final reason for choosing a career in teaching is that it’s just as challenging as it is rewarding.
“Thinking of better and better ways to teach some of the rich ideas philosophy offers to students definitely keeps me on my toes, and there’s no feeling like seeing a student light up with the recognition of a new idea."
Outside of the Classroom
Naturally, Dr. Lowery’s favorite classes in college were philosophy and religion classes, but she did mention one class that opened her eyes to another world: Art Appreciation!
“I wasn’t someone who grew up learning seriously about art or aesthetics, but after taking that class, I could walk through an art museum and actually know the context and stories behind some of the artworks. That was – and still is – really awesome to me.”
“Honestly, if I wasn’t lucky enough to be able to teach full-time, I would still be finding a way to teach on my evenings or weekends,” Dr. Lowery shared when asked what she would be doing if she weren’t instructing. “If I had to choose an entirely other career, I’d probably explore think tanks or researching for a non-profit – getting to still dive into the nitty-gritty of a problem and understand how it works, and then hopefully make a real impact related to it.”
The Smart Way to Launch Your College Career
The accredited, Campus online associate degree in business program helps students knock out the first two years of college and supports them as they prepare for life after graduation.
Want to attend classes led by mission-driven educators like Dr. Alyssa Lowery? Request more information about potentially joining the next trailblazing cohort of the Campus program today.
Questions About Campus?
Our admissions team is here to help. Email us at admissions@campus.edu or give us a call at (888) 675-2460.
Want to learn more about Campus?
Our admissions advisors can answer your questions.