Gan, Barry L.

Name:

Barry Gan pic
Barry L. Gan, Ph.D.

Academic School:

School of Arts and Sciences

Academic Department:

Philosophy

Titles/Responsibilities:


Contact Information:

Phone: (716) 375-2275
Email: bgan@sbu.edu
Mail: Box 107, St. Bonaventure, NY 14778

Academic Degrees:

  • Ph.D. in philosophy, University of Rochester, 1984
  • M.A. in philosophy, University of Rochester, 1981
  • B.A. with distinction in philosophy, University of Rochester, 1970

Other Education:

Teaching certification, other graduate work in English, education 1972-1975 

  • Part time at Boston University, Brandeis University, State University of New York at Binghamton, Ithaca College, and Russell Sage College. Thirty-three graduate credits earned.

Other undergraduate work 

  • Harvard University, summer, 1969
  • Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, 1966-1967

Professional Background:

Dr. Gan has taught at St. Bonaventure University for the past 23 years. Prior to that he taught high school and junior high school English for six years.

Accomplishments:

Edited Works 

  • Nonviolence in Theory and Practice, 2nd edition, Robert L. Holmes and Barry L. Gan, editors, Waveland Press: Chicago, 2004.
  • The Acorn: Journal of the Gandhi-King Society, editor, 1990-date. In hard copy by subscription and also online at http://acorn.sbu.edu.
  • Proceedings of the Peace Bridge Conference, a statewide conference on mediation and arbitration held in Buffalo, 14-16 September, 1989. Co-editor with Michael Chiariello. Included within the proceedings is a summary of a workshop on justice and mediation presented at the conference by myself and Michael Chiariello.

Awards 

  • Greater Olean Area Chamber of Commerce Good News Environmental Award, Summer 2002.
  • "Anti-Warism: A New Pacifist Perspective." Awarded the Frank Chapman Sharp Essay Prize of $1,200 by the American Philosophical Association. November, 1991.

Articles 

  • "Redemptive Suffering." Volume II, No. 2 of Diotima: A Philosophical Review. Fall, 2002, 19-29.
  • Articles on Mohandas K. Gandhi and on the Gulf of Sidra incident in an Encyclopedia of War and Ethics, edited by Donald A. Wells (Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood Press), 1996, pp. 152-154 and pp. 179-180.
  • "Libya and the Failure of the U.S. Press: A Case Study" in From the Eye of the Storm: Regional Conflicts and the Philosophy of Peace, edited by L.F. Bove and L.D. Kaplan. (Amsterdam: Rodopi Press, 1995), pp.85-94.
  • "Loving One's Enemies" in In the Interest of Peace, edited by the Kenneth H. Klein and Joseph C. Kunkel. (Wakefield, New Hampshire: Longwood Academies, 1990), pp. 217-225.
  • "AIDS: A Case Study." Vol. VI, No. 1 of Midwest Medical Ethics (Winter, 1990) 8-9.
  • "Plantinga's Transworld Depravity: It's Got Possibilities." Volume XIII, No.3 of the International Journal for Philosophy of Religion (1982) 169-177.

Columns 

  • Columnist for The Muse, a regional arts and entertainment magazine, in their monthly political column Left/Right, June, 2004 to present.
  • "Terrorism," a critique of the U.S. response, featured op-ed on America Online's Opinions page, Oct 12-13, 2001.
  • A just-war critique of the war in Afghanistan, published by the Catholic News Service, November 14, 2001.
  • America Online News Commentary, Oct. 12, 2001 on the U.S. response to the 9/11 attacks.
  • Occasional columnist on nonviolence for the Olean Times Herald, 1999-2003
  • Occasional radio commentator on nonviolence for WBFO/WOLN/WUBJ (Buffalo, Olean, and Jamestown, NY. National Public Radio affiliate), 1999 to 2003.

Book Reviews 

  • Remer, Gary. Humanism and the Rhetoric of Toleration, (The Pennsylvania State University Press: University Park, Penn), 1996. 318pp In The Journal of Church and State, Vol. 39, No. 4 Autumn, 1997.
  • Sharp, Gene. Gandhi as a Political Strategist. (Porter Sargent: Boston) 1979, In the September 1990/March 1991 issue of The Acorn.
  • Cady, Duane. From Warism to Pacifism: A Moral Continuum. (Temple University Press: Philadelphia) 1989. In the Winter, 1990 Newsletter of Concerned Philosophers for Peace.

Invited Presentations 

  • "Nonviolence in a Violent World," Regional Gathering of Greens, April 25, 2004, Jamestown Community College, Olean, New York. Invited plenary speaker.
  • "Out of the Ashes of Violence." Invited presentation at Adelphi University, Garden City, Long Island. March, 2004.
  • "The Path is Peace," presented to the congregation of First Congregational Church, March 19, 2002, Wellsville, NY.
  • "Wellness Fair" invited presenter on conflict resolution in 2003 and 2004 at Allegany Elementary School.
  • "Conflict Resolution" at University of Rochester, part of a weekend on nonviolence featuring a talk by Gandhi's grandson, Arun Gandhi.
  • "Violent Myths that Mislead Our Culture," invited presenter to the Franciscan Regional Council of Western New York, October 28th, 2000, Immaculata Academy, Hamburg , NY.
  • "Violent Myths and Myths about Nonviolence," invited presentation to the Peace and Justice Society of Chautauqua Institution, Chautauqua, NY, in the Hall of Philosophy, August, 1999. Also at the 12th annual conference of the Concerned Philosophers for Peace, held at Radford University in Radford, Virginia, October, 1999. Also by invitation to the annual meeting of the Society of Friends, New York Conference, Chautauqua Institution, April 2000.
  • "Conflict Resolution," invited presentation as a representative of the U.S. Fellowship of Reconciliation, to a group of approximately 70 teachers and administrators from Russia, Ukraine, Lithuania, and Moldavia, in Galitsena, outside of Moscow, Russia, October, 1994.
  • Plus, dozens of invited presentations on conflict resolution and nonviolence over the years to public schools, private schools, and nonprofit organizations.

Invited Panelist 

  • To keynote address by Jonathan Schell (author of The Fate of the Earth and The Unconquerable World), Peace and Justice Studies Association, University of San Francisco, October 16, 2004.
  • "How to Overthrow Suddam Hussein Nonviolently," organizer and member of panel discussion  at the annual meeting on the Peace and Justice Studies Association, Georgetown University, Washington , D.C., October 2002.
  • On nationally syndicated Pacifica Radio on October 16, 2002, on "Imperatives for Peace," a panel discussion on how to unseat Saddam Hussein nonviolently.
  • At University of Rochester presentation on nonviolent strategy to undergraduate organization, 2003.
  • At University of Rochester presentation on "Nonviolent Regime Change: An Alternative to War?" Along with Jack Duvall, producer of the PBS series A Force More Powerful, November, 2002.
  • To international representative conference of the Fellowship of Reconciliation, in Dhaka, Bangladesh, November 1998. As part of the week-long meeting, we met with Sheikh Hasina Wajed, Prime Minister of Bangladesh.

Papers Presented (peer-reviewed) 

  • "Libertarianism Unmasked," presented at the annual meeting of Concerned Philosophers for Peace, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, October, 2004.
  • "Conscientious Objection in Israel," co-presented with Laura Duhan Kaplan at the Concerned Philosophers for Peace session of the American Philosophical Association's Eastern Division meeting in Washington D.C., December, 2003.
  • "Violent Myths," presented to a regional peace studies gathering organized by the Cornell University and Ithaca College, Fall, 2003.
  • "The Misconception of Violence," presented in October, 2003 to the annual meeting of the Peace and Justice Studies Association in Olympia, Washington, and also the annual meeting of Concerned Philosophers for Peace in Forest Grove, Oregon.
  • "Wallowing in Self-Righteousness: The U.S. response to Terrorism," presented at the 15th annual conference of Concerned Philosophers for Peace, held at Walsh University in Canton, Ohio in October, 2002.
  • "Frightened to Death: The Other Side of Terrorism," presented at the 14th annual conference of Concerned Philosophers for Peace, held at St. Bonaventure University, St. Bonaventure, NY in October 2001.
  • "Redemptive Suffering," presented at the 13th annual conference of Concerned Philosophers for Peace, held at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario in October, 2000.
  • "Nonviolence in Public Schools," presented at the 11th annual conference of Concerned Philosophers for Peace at George Washington University, September, 1998.
  • "Creating the Nonviolent Classroom," presented at a conference on Re-Inventing the Liberal Arts sponsored by SUNY College at Buffalo at the Hyatt in Buffalo, NY, May, 1999. Later published in proceedings.
  • "Justice and Peace as Means to an Ends," presented to Concerned Philosophers for Peace at their 10th national conference, California State University, Chico, September, 1997 and to the joint national conference of the Peace Studies Association and the Consortium on Peace Research, Education, and Development (COPRED) In, April, 1997 at Bethel College in Kansas.
  • "War and Abortion," presented to the Peace Studies Association at a national conference, Earlham College, April, 1996.
  • "Libya and the Public's Right to Know." Presented to Concerned Philosophers for Peace at their annual meeting at the University of Notre Dame, October 1990.
  • "Loving One's Enemies." Presented to the North American Society for Social Philosophy at its annual meeting at the University of Vermont. Summer, 1990. Also presented to Concerned Philosophers for Peace at their annual meeting at Temple University. Fall, 1989; to COPRED (Consortium on Peace Research, Education and Development) at its Fall, 1998 national conference at Manhattan College; and to the First Annual Gandhian Nonviolence Conference, sponsored by Gandhi Institute for Nonviolence, the National Civil Rights Museum, and the National Conference for Community and Justice, Memphis, TN, in October, 2004.
  • "Pacifism: A New Perspective." Presented to the North American Division of International Philosophers for the Prevention of Nuclear Omnicide at the December, 1987, meeting of the Eastern Division of the American Philosophical Association in New York City.
  • "Rationality, Legislation, and Abortion."  Presented to the Western New York State American Catholic Philosophers' Association at its Spring, 1985 meeting at St. John Fisher College.
  • "One Argument against Military Conscription." Presented to the Creighton Club (the New York State Philosophical Association) at its Fall, 1981 meeting at Syracuse University.

Other Interests/Community Involvement:

Community Service 

  • Olean Area Coalition for Peace and Justice, 2000-date. Co-founded grassroots group opposed to war in Iraq and to various provision or the Patriot and Homeland Security Acts.
  • Olean Area Man-to-Man, Prostate Cancer group, 2000-date. Founded local education and support group sponsored by the American Cancer Society; monthly meetings; occasional guest speakers; frequent telephone support.
  • Fellowship of Reconciliation 1997-2000. Elected member of the National Council and chair of the Program Committee, nation's largest and oldest interfaith peace group.
  • Olean General Hospital Ethics Committee, 1997-date.
  • Washington West Elementary School Advisory Board, 1998-2001.
  • Faculty Senate, St. Bonaventure University, (except one year) 1998-date.
  • Montessori Children's House of Olean, 1993-1996.
  • President, Board of Directors, Pre-primary and elementary school
  • Better Business Bureau of Western New York, 1993-1996. Trainer for conflict resolution and mediation.
  • Olean Task Force, 1987-1992. Co-founded citizen watchdog group; monitored government expenditures and actions on environmental issues.
  • WFFO-WOLN 1980-1983. Conceived and helped to execute the FM radio broadcast of jazz and NPR news in the Olean area; member of the advisory board from 1995-1998.
  • Dispute Settlement Center of the Better Business Bureau of Western New York. Mediator and arbitration, 1986-1992.
  • Olean Task Force, 1975-1978
  • Cattaraugus Community Action, board member, 1996-1997

University Service 

  • Faculty Senate, for seventeen on the past twenty years.
  • Chair, Faculty Senate Student Life Committee, once in the 1980s, once in the 1990s.
  • Chair, Faculty Senate Faculty Status Committee, two years in the 1990s, half a year in 2004.
  • Chair of the Space Utilization Committee, late 1980s one year; and chair of the Salary Inequity Committee, early 1990s.
  • Plus numerous presentations to the Friday Forums, the HEOP summer program, Residence Advisors, classrooms of other professors including Chuck Walker, Russ Jandoli, Lee Coppola.
  • Initially oversaw development of the Philosophy Department's Web pages.
  • Member of the following committees at various times over the past 20 years: Bogoni Task Force, Governance Task Force, Faculty Diversity sub-committee, advisory board of the Franciscan Center for Social Concern, various other committees and other sub-committees having to do with prioritizing, re-organizing, etc.

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