Though it’s not all that common for a pro fessor to live on campus, that’s exactly the case for a philosophy instructor at N.C. State. William Bauer, assistant teaching professor of philosophy and religious studies, serves as the scholar in residence in the Honors Village and has done so since the fall of 2011.

Bauer arrived at N.C. State in the fall of 2010 after completing his doctoral work in philoso phy at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

“[I am grateful to have] had the privilege and opportunity to serve as the scholar in residence in the Honors Village on campus for three years in a row, getting to know some of the best student scholars on campus,” Bau er said. “I frequently have lunch with small groups of students in the Honors Village, talking about metaphysics, logic and ethical dilemmas and connecting these to topics of primary interest to the students, if not phi losophy.”

According to Bauer, there are certain draw backs in regards to living so close to his work environment, but there are also many benefits he enjoys.

“Sometimes, it’s true, it would be nice to get away from my larger work environment — more often that is practical when my office is only a seven-minute walk away from my apartment,” Bauer said. “However, I would probably do extra work prepping teaching materials or doing research for a philosophy article in the evenings and on weekends no matter where I lived, on or off campus.”

Yet despite not being able to get away, Bauer said that the pros definitely outweigh the cons.

“There are a lot of benefits for a professor living on campus. For example, I find that I am in touch with the pulse of the campus more than I would be otherwise, and I sense that this helps me more effectively communi cate with students in and out of class,” Bauer said. “I find it valuable to be close to resources on campus, such as all of the libraries, as well as being able to get to my office, classes and departmental functions quickly.”

Bauer’s areas of research include metaphys ics, which applies to the theory of reality and the philosophy of science, especially the na ture of dispositional properties. He also has strong interests in bioethics and philosophy of the mind. Bauer teaches at both graduate and undergraduate levels.

“I aim for my courses to be a place of ex ploration where together we map out argu mentative territory, explore and critique pos sibilities, and attempt to better understand the relationship between the world, the self and values,” Bauer said.

His publications include a short discussion paper in The Reasoner, titled “Scientific Rea soning Can Be Circular,” which appeared in January. Another recent publication, in Dis putatio: International Journal of Philosophy, is titled “Dispositional Essentialism and the Nature of Powerful Properties.”

Bauer also said that he, his spouse and his son like living near other popular locations on and near campus.

“We really enjoy being close to Hillsbor ough Street and Pullen Park and using cam pus resources like the University Theatre and recreational facilities. N.C. State has a great campus and community.” Bauer said.