Professor Dave Boersema Retires After 31 Years at Pacific

Distinguished university professor and Douglas C. Strain Chair of Natural Philosophy Dave Boersema is retiring after 31 years of outstanding service at Pacific University.

Boersema gave the keynote address at the university's spring undergraduate commencement ceremony on Saturday, May 21. He came to Pacific in 1985, and during his tenure, served as the chair of the Philosophy Department and the university's Peace and Social Justice program.

Additionally, Boersema founded the university's Center for Peace & Spirituality in 2013, and has brought world-renowned speakers to the university, including Noam Chomsky (2011) and Arun Gandhi (2013).

From 2003-2006, Boersema served on Pacific's Board of Trustees as the university's faculty representative.

He has been active professionally, serving as editor of two professional journals and on various national committees in his field. Boersema has also been a prolific publisher, having authored three textbooks that are used at institutions throughout the country.

Select Publications by David Boersema, PhD

Pragmatism and Reference (2008, MIT Press)

Philosophy of Science (2009, Pearson)

Philosophy of Human Rights (2011, Westview Press)

Facts on File Guide to Philosophy - Four Volume Set (2012, InfoBase Publishing)