Bill Anelli is a tenured philosophy instructor at Modesto Junior College who has over 18 years of teaching experience. He teaches a variety of philosophy courses and helped create new programs. He is actively involved on campus through committees, presenting at conferences, and organizing film series and panels on various topics.

1. Bill Anelli
Modesto Jr. College Phone: 209-575-6152; 209-214-7007(c)
Department of Philosophy Email: anellib@mjc.edu
435 College Avenue
Modesto, CA 95354
Education
1998 M.A. (Honors) Philosophy, San Francisco State University, San Francisco
1987 B.S. Social Sciences/Pre-medicine, University of California, Berkeley
Teaching Experience
2006-pres Philosophy Instructor (full-time, tenured), Modesto Junior College.
I teach the following courses: Introduction to Philosophy, Critical Reasoning/Logic, Philosophy
of Science, Ethics, Philosophy of Religion, Ancient Philosophy, 20th Century Philosophy,
Political Philosophy, Environmental Ethics, and Philosophy of Film.
Added two courses to our curriculum: Environmental Ethics and Bioethics (upper division) as
part of our new B.A. program in Respiratory Care.
Created our AAT program (2014) within state CID guidelines.
Responsible for annual program review, course learning outcomes, course outlines, and
articulation with CSU and UCs for our 14 courses all of which are transfer courses to CSU and
UC.
Advisor to the Philosophy Club (2009-present).
Bay Area Honors Symposium - mentor to philosophy students including a recent Hezlet award
finalist presented at the 2015 Honors Symposium, Stanford University.
1999-2005 Philosophy Instructor (adjunct), De Anza Community College, Cupertino, CA;
Taught Introduction to Philosophy, Moral and Political Philosophy, Critical Thinking
1999-2005 Humanities Instructor (adjunct), Laney Community College, Oakland; Taught
World Religions and Human Values and Ethics
2001-2002 Philosophy Instructor (adjunct), Master’s Institute, San Jose, CA; Taught Critical
Thinking and Logic (online)

2. Community College Service
2014-pres In Search of Common Ground, National Endowment for the Humanities grant; one
of four faculty awarded $100,000 NEH grant (2014-16) designed to highlight the culture of the
central valley and develop curricular modules, including a module on political philosophy, based
on a series of eight topics and discussions with scholars.
2015-pres Initiated and presently lead a Faculty Learning Community focused on pedagogy that meets
every three weeks.
2014-pres Secretary, Academic Senate.
2014-pres Co-chair of campus professional development including faculty professional development.
2014-pres Member of Modesto Area Partners in Science committee (MAPS) and the Civic
Engagement Project, Film and Lecture Series.
2008-2011 Coordinator, campus Civic Engagement Project. Grew the project, with $5,000 annual
budget, into five committees: Film/lecture, voter registration, multicultural education,
environmental issues, and service learning.
2006 Diversity Leadership Training Project Retreat, De Anza College. Participated in diversity
retreat on race, gender, and class with students, faculty, staff and administrators.
Teaching-Centered Conference Presentations
2016 “Assessment in Philosophy Courses,” Co-led a workshop sponsored by the American Association of
Philosophy Teachers, Teaching & Learning in Philosophy workshop, Mt. Saint Mary’s College,
Los Angeles (1/25/16).
2015 “Identifying Learning Objectives in Philosophy Courses,” Co-led a workshop sponsored by American
Association of Philosophy Teachers, Teaching & Learning in Philosophy workshop, San Francisco
State University, San Francisco (3/7/15).
2014 Teaching Argument Analysis While Helping Others: The Argument Letter Assignment, American
Association of Philosophy Teachers, 20th
Biennial International Conference on Teaching
Philosophy, College of St. Benedict and St. Johns University, St. Joseph, Minnesota (8/1/14).
Creating Meaningful Course Learning Outcomes Across a Diversity of Teaching Approaches: Can It Be Done?
Can It Be Fair?,” American Association of Philosophy Teachers, 20th
Biennial International
Conference on Teaching Philosophy, College of St. Benedict and St. Johns University, St. Joseph,
Minnesota (7/31/14).
2012 “Not Just Argument Mapping: Representing the Structure of Complex Primary Texts with Concept Maps,”
American Association of Philosophy Teachers, biennial meeting, St. Edwards University, Austin,
Texas (Summer 2012).

3. Managing Writing Feedback in the Large Class: From Annotations to Paraphrasings to Critiques,” American
Philosophy Association Pacific division meeting, American Association of Philosophy Teachers
session, San Francisco (April 2012).
2011 Chaired session on “Ethics of Grading and New Approaches to Teaching Logic,” American
Philosophy Association Eastern Division meeting, Washington (12/27/2011).
Other Presentations and Publications
2013-pres Anelli, Bill and Natalie Goldberg, What Is The Meaning Of A Rose? – Under contract with
Shambhala Press, Inc. to write a preface and co-edit a book of zen talks by Zen teacher Katherine
Thanas with noted author and writer Natalie Goldberg (expected Jan. 2017).
2016 Anelli, Bill, Philosophical Common Ground: A Report on Curricular Development and the Politics of
Recognition in the Central Valley, presentation with fellow National Endowment of the Humanities /
Common Ground panelists at the 35th
annual Steinbeck Festival, National Steinbeck Center, Salinas,
CA, (May 8, 2016).
The Burden (documentary film) – organized and moderated discussion as part of the MJC Civic
Engagement Project series following screening of documentary on the military’s fossil-fuel
dependence and national security. Invited speakers were Colonel Paul S. Fellinger, Garrison
Commander of the Presidio of Monterey and Hugh Hardin, Deputy to the Garrison Commander
(Spring 2016).
Merchants of Doubt (documentary film) – moderated discussion as part of the MJC Civic
Engagement Project series following screening of documentary on tactics by industry or
ideological skeptics to sow doubt regarding public health and environment science claims
(smoking, asbestos, climate change); provided argument analysis handout and critique of film
(Spring 2016). (see: https://www.sugarsync.com/pf/D86951_06545039_6304864 )
2014 Anelli, Bill, “The Demarcation Problem: Distinguishing Science from Pseudo-science,” – lecture
presentation at the MJC Science Colloquium series (Spring 2014); (see
https://share.yosemite.edu/view.aspx?i=1EM8)
2013 “Faith and the Environment: Multiple Perspectives.” Organized and moderated a five member panel
discussion for the MJC Civic Engagement Project series. Panelists included representatives from
the Manteca Islamic Center, Shelter Cove Bible Church, St. Joseph’s Catholic Church, the Sikh
Temple of Sacramento, and the Central Valley Zen Center (Fall 2013).
“The Interface of Science and Religion” - moderated MJC Science Colloquium panel presentation of
five local religious leaders’ views regarding discoveries in biology, cosmology, and physics (Spring
2013); See: https://share.yosemite.edu/view.aspx?i=1EKS )
2012 Anelli, Bill, “When the Experts Disagree: Whom Should I Trust?,” presentation at Modesto Jr.
College’s Science Colloquium series (Fall 2012); (https://share.yosemite.edu/view.aspx?i=1EHL )

4. Anelli, Bill, “The peer review certification label: A short-cut to assessing expertise and consensus by the
necessarily uninformed,” Great Plains Society for the Study of Argumentation, “Between
Scientists & Citizens: Assessing Expertise In Policy Controversies, “Iowa State University, Ames,
IA (June 1-2, 2012). Published in conference proceedings (refereed).
2010 Anelli, Bill, “Peer Review: Gatekeeper of Academic Quality?” – lecture presentation at the MJC Science
Colloquium series (Fall 2010)
“The Haiti Earthquake: Its Science and History” – moderated an MJC Civic Engagement Project panel
presentation by three speakers on recent events in Haiti (Fall 2010).
2009 Anelli, Bill, “Environmental Ethics – Does Nature Have Intrinsic Value? Does it matter? – lecture
presentation at the MJC Science Colloquium series (Fall 2009).
2008 Anelli, Bill, “Saying No to Zeus Studies: Why Intelligent Design Does Not Belong in the Science
Classroom,” presentation for Modesto Institute for Continued Learning (Fall 2008).
Anelli, Bill, “Science As Philosophy; Philosophy As Science” – lecture presentation at the MJC Science
Colloquium series (Fall 2008).
Anelli, Bill, “Justified Belief and Global Warming: How Philosophy Can Help the Uninformed Think
Clearly about Climate Change,” presentation at Modesto Area Partners in Science (Spring 2008).
“Advantages and Disadvantages of Single-Payer Healthcare,” Presentation as part of a screening of
Sicko by the MJC Civic Engagement Project (Spring 2008).
2002 Anelli, Bill, “History of Santa Cruz Zen Center,” published in the San Francisco Zen Center quarterly
journal, Winter 2002.
Recent Travel Grants
Reading Apprenticeship Program Workshop, Santa Cruz, CA - $200/MJC Student Success
Initiative (2015).
Rocky Mountain Division of the American Society for Aesthetics, Santa Fe, NM -
$1,200/National Endowment for the Humanities (2015).
Lilly Conference: College and University Teaching and Learning, Newport Beach, CA - $1,200
(2014).
American Philosophy Association Central Division meeting, New Orleans, LA - $1,200 (2013).
Edward Tufte, Presenting Data and Information Course, Oakland - $250 (2012).
American Philosophy Association Pacific Division meeting and The 15th Annual Continuums
of Service Conference: Creating the New Vision for Higher Education, Seattle - $1,500 (2012).

5. Great Plains Society for the Study of Argumentation, “Between Scientists & Citizens:
Assessing Expertise In Policy Controversies,” Ames, IA - $1,500 (2012).
The American Association of Philosophy Teachers, biennial meeting, St. Edwards University,
Austin - $1,200 (2012).
NCA/AFA Summer Conference on Argumentation/National Communication Association,
the American Forensic Association, Alta, Utah - $1,100 (2011).
American Philosophy Association Eastern Division, Washington - $1,200 (2011).
Languages
English – native language.
Spanish – speak, read, and write with basic competence.
Other Service and Memberships
American Association of Philosophy Teachers, 2012 to Present - Board member from 2012-2014;
Teaching Fellows Committee 2012-2013; Co-organizer for AAPT sessions on teaching philosophy
(2013-2014); co-leader of teaching philosophy workshops in California (2015-present).
American Philosophy Association
Santa Cruz Zen Center, board member 1999-2002.
Other Employment
2000-2002 Partner, The Cheque Republic, Inc., Santa Cruz - Created and developed an experimental, avant-
garde cultural production company that sold personal checks over with provocative designs that
questioned the role of money in our lives. The Cheque Republic was featured in Forbes, Utne,
Gear, Clamor, and Fiction magazines as well as the bay area press.
1993-1999 Copy Editor, Business Wire, Inc., San Francisco; Edited public relations materials for Business
Wire, Inc., an international newswire service and worked closely with local and national media
representatives to ensure maximum distribution of press releases.
1990-1991 Administrative Assistant, University of California, San Francisco, First International
Conference on A.I.D.S and Homeless Youth. Assisted conference chair in the planning and
coordination of the First International Conference on A.I.D.S and Homeless Youth; Edited
publications and submissions to the Journal for Adolescent Medicine for the conference chair.

6. 1985-1988 Relationship Counselor, Clearwater Ranch Residential Treatment Center, Cloverdale, CA.
Supervised and counseled severely emotionally disturbed children and teens at residential
treatment center and group home. Worked with a team of psychiatrists, psychologists, and
social workers to develop and evaluate each child’s therapeutic treatment plan. Tutored the
children and developed an in-house education program.
1985-1987 Program Coordinator, University of California, Berkeley, Dept. of Public Health, Medical
Apprenticeship Program; Designed, planned, and implemented a weekly seminar series for 200
students on the social, ethical and political issues of health and medicine using a collaborative
pedagogical model. Recruited speakers on seminar topics from health organizations and
universities in the Bay Area. Trained and supervised Teacher's Assistants for the 13 weekly
discussion sections that coincided with the seminar series.
References
Available upon request
Last updated: May 23rd
, 2016