NMSU philosophy professor to retire after nearly 40 years

Timothy Cleveland grew up in the Texas Panhandle, traveled east to earn his doctorate in philosophy at Johns Hopkins University, then returned west in 1987 to join the philosophy faculty at New Mexico State University.

"Big difference from Baltimore," Cleveland said. "Las Cruces was quite different then. It was probably 50,000 people or so, and I was excited about being at the university and I really hit it off with my colleagues. I was able to do many things that I wanted to do. Paul Sagal, who hired me, was the department head for 20 years. He said: 'You're going to be glad you came here,' and he was right."

Cleveland is the author of two books: "Beyond Words: Philosophy, Fiction, and the Unsayable" and "Trying Without Willing: An Essay in the Philosophy of Mind" as well as articles on the philosophy of action, philosophy of logic and metaphysics. His philosophical works also include essays for popular audiences on C.S. Lewis' "Chronicles of Narnia" and on the music of the rock band U2. In 2002, Cleveland received the Donald C. Roush award for teaching excellence. In 2012, he earned an MFA in creative writing from NMSU.

After 39 years at NMSU as a philosophy professor and department head helping thousands of students answer life's biggest questions, Cleveland is answering his own life question. What's next after his retirement as of July 1?

"It was a hard decision for me to quit even after all this time," Cleveland said. "This has been a good job, and I loved it and I felt vibrant and I'm still very interested. I plan on being an emeritus professor and doing some teaching and still doing research. I'll always be part of it. I can't stop being who I am, but I do want to see the world and do some other things."

What Cleveland will miss the most are his students. Some alumni reflections demonstrate their bond with the professor and his influence on their careers.

"Tim left a profound and lasting impact on me as a student and aspiring philosopher, and he continues to influence me now as a philosophy professor," said Katie Deaven, philosophy assistant professor at the University of North Carolina. "Every minute I was held to a standard of rigor that demanded real commitment from students. It was in the first class I took with Tim that I learned being challenged matters more than the grade. Now that I stand on the other side of the lectern, I have a far deeper appreciation for just how difficult what he made look effortless truly is. There's no better measure of a teacher than the lasting mark they leave on their students, and I'm incredibly grateful and proud to carry his."

Jamie Lee Justice is an attorney at the Elisabeth Haub School of Law and the first graduate of NMSU's Justice, Political Philosophy and Law program.

"I vividly remember going into Dr. Cleveland's office and inquiring about the new Justice, Political Philosophy and Law degree plan they were offering. Dr. Cleveland spun around in his chair laughing and said, 'Is this some kind of joke?' He couldn't believe my last name was Justice. Dr. Cleveland always challenged me to challenge myself, and it always paid off," Justice said. "I thrived! He also let me be creative and incorporate my love for animals and the environment into my work for his classes, which meant the world to me. He made me a better writer, thinker and person."

These relationships with former students as a mentor and colleague continue to affect Cleveland's life as well.

"I've had thousands of students, and some of my philosophy students have gone on to teach," Cleveland said. "Definitely being able to work with so many gifted students and good students and often these were students who were local from this area who really appreciated the opportunities they had at NMSU."

Angela T. Bischof is an assistant professor of philosophy at Northern Arizona State University. She self-identifies as Mexican and Native who grew up in low-socioeconomic environment. Cleveland shared his own humble beginnings. His mentorship both during her studies and after earning her degree at NMSU gave her the confidence to persevere.

"When I started my Ph.D. in philosophy at Duke University, I was naïve about my identities and consequent disadvantages," Bischof said. "There is no doubt in my mind that I would not be in this discipline had it not been for Dr. Cleveland's guidance and belief in my abilities. When I teach, I often think about his methods and strategies, implementing them into my own coursework, feedback and interactions with my students. I owe much of my success and current life to Dr. Cleveland. He helped me break the cycle of poverty that I was born into."

"No teacher has had a greater impact on my life and career than Tim Cleveland," said Morgan Wallhagen, instructor of philosophy at Stanford University Online High School. "Tim modeled clarity, precision and rigor like no other. I strive to do the same in my own teaching. Tim inspired me by his dedication to his students. He inspired in me a vision of what philosophy can accomplish."

Jean-Paul Vessel, Cleveland's former student and a philosophy associate professor at NMSU, has worked with Cleveland for 22 years.

"Tim taught me what it was to be an excellent professor of philosophy, and he's helped me strive toward something like that every step along the way. Tim helped improve my teaching in radical ways," Vessel said. "It is close to impossible to overemphasize the impact of Tim's teaching, advising and mentoring on NMSU students. At least 23 of the students Tim mentored went on to secure Ph.D.'s, about 20 of them in philosophy (which may very well be unprecedented given the nature of our small, undergraduate-only philosophy program). Over 20 of Tim's students went on to earn JDs. Several have become MDs. My heart hurts when I think about how much I'll miss him."

In an era where most future careers will engage with artificial intelligence, Cleveland says philosophy is more important now than ever.

"Philosophy teaches skills that are transferable to any kind of job," Cleveland said. "Critical thinking skills, the ability to read well, write very well, develop clear and persuasive arguments, defend your view, also just ask questions that are sort of out of the box sometimes – all those things are so valuable no matter what you do.

"We've had students from every possible career or walk of life in philosophy that have gone on to different jobs. Philosophy is a kind of training. It's not a vocational training for a specific job or a specific career, but it just teaches basic skills that are so important, especially in today's world where people are worried about AI intruding into people's cognitive space."

After retirement, Cleveland will spend more time traveling with his wife, Brenda, he will remain an emeritus professor and will always treasure his years at NMSU.

"You get paid to talk about books that you love, that you would read anyway, ideas you can't stop thinking about and you get to talk to young people about their beliefs and help them reflect on their beliefs in such a way that they might become free to be who they want to be. And it's been an incredible blessing in my life to have so many great students, and I'm just so proud of my students. Without a doubt, the greatest part of being a philosopher is being a teacher."

The full article can be seen at https://newsroom.nmsu.edu/news/nmsu-philosophy-professor-to-retire-after-nearly-40-years/s/ce4045a3-430e-4173-8a1d-07e7f8f7d618