Biography
Dr. Jeffrey Nall is dedicated to connecting humanistic inquiry to the challenges and aims of daily life. He has taught courses in philosophy and humanities for UCF since 2015. Dr. Nall dropped out of high school in his senior year but discovered a passion for the examined life in community college. His doctoral studies emphasized public intellectualism—bridging the gap between academia and popular public discourse. In addition to teaching courses, Dr. Nall brings the questions and insights of the humanities into broader public light through regular public speaking and his website, ApplyingHumanities.org, and his Substack newsletter.
Education
- Ph.D. in Comparative Studies: Public Intellectualism and Feminist Theory from Florida Atlantic University (2011)
- Certificate in Women's Studies from Florida Atlantic University (2009)
- M.L.S. in Liberal Studies from Rollins College (2007)
- B.A. in Humanities from Rollins College (2004)
- A.A. from Brevard Community College (Now "Eastern Florida State College") (2004)
Research Interests
- Critical thinking and public intellectualism
- Studies of men and masculinity
- Philosophy of Social Change
- Erich Fromm, Biophilia, Having/Being
- Social conceptualizations of childbirth
- Political philosophy and economic justice
- Feminist theory and social philosophy
- Philosophies of education
Recent Research Activities
The forthcoming volume, The Frommian Mind, part of Routledge's Philosophical Minds series, will feature my chapter, “Change Agents, Martyrs, and Mental Illness: How Erich Fromm’s Conception of Healthy Humanity Upturns Conventional Ideas about Who’s Sick.” The work is an extension of my interest in the philosophy of social change and the rich intellectual contributions of social theorist Erich Fromm.
Professional Activities
- Created "The Source," a section within my Substack, introducing the public to primary source materials from the humanities (2026)
- Created ApplyingHumanities.org featuring thought experiments
- Teaching Responsibly with AI Certification GPTZero (2025)
- Organized Undergraduate Panel, “Applied Humanities: Music, Male Privilege, and the Healing Powers of Humanities,” for the Humanities Institute Undergraduate Humanities Conference, at the University of South Florida. Featured papers by select UCF students from my humanities courses (2023)
- Quality (Online Course) Design Seminar Polk State College (2022)
- Earned Quality Online Course Designation for "Introduction to Humanities," Polk State College (2022)
- Designed two courses added to Florida Atlantic University course catalogue: Gender and Sport & Men and Masculinities (2022)
- "Daring to Dream in a Fatalistic Society," River of Grass Unitarian Universalist Congregation, July 19, 2026
- "Now That’s A Man! Mister Rogers & Men’s Liberation," Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Vero Beach, July 12, 2026
- "Biophilia for Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner," Nature Coast Unitarian Universalists, July 5, 2026
- “Quiet Joys Amidst Apocalypse: What A Quiet Place: Day One Teaches Us About the Good Life and What Makes Hardship Worth Surviving,” University Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, Orlando, June 28, 2026.
- “The Limits of Science: Why Einstein Believed Science Needs the Humanities,” Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of St Augustine, June 21, 2026.
- “Thinking for Ourselves: The Good Life and the Art of Critical Thinking,” River of Grass Unitarian Universalist Congregation, May 24, 2026.
- “From Left to Right, What we All Have to Learn from MLK, Today,” Nature Coast Unitarian Universalists, February 22, 2026.
- “Sacred Disobedience: Antigone, MLK, and the Question of When to (Dis)Obey,” Unitarian Universalist Church of Brevard in West Melbourne, Florida, September 7, 2025.
- “Mark Twain and the Knights of Labor,” Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of St. Augustine, August 31, 2025.
- "What about Mama's Labor: Rediscovering the Hidden Labor and Agency of Women's Reproductive Work and What it Means for All Working People," Nature Coast Unitarian Universalists, Citrus Springs, FL, May 11, 2025.
Publications
Books
- Feminism and the Mastery of Women and Childbirth: An Ecofeminist Examination of the Cultural Maiming and Reclaiming of Maternal Agency During Childbirth. (Academica Press).
Edited Collections
- “Condorcet and Feminist Masculinity,” Growing Our Field: Emerging Perspectives on Masculinities and Men’s Lives 2 (2011): 151-161.
Articles/Essays
- “Fade to White or Stereotype: Patriarchal Policing of Gender Norms in TV and Filmic Representations of Childbirth,” Gender Questions 2, no.1 (2014) pp.12-34
- “Mother Beware: Perilous Scholarly and News Media Discourse around Homebirth.” International Journal of Communication and Health 1, no.2 (2013).
- “Emphasizing Virtue over Victory, Why We Should Adopt a Virtue Ethics Approach to Social Change.” Zeteo.
- “High-Fidelity Birth Simulators in American Culture: An Ecofeminist Analysis” The Journal of American Culture: “The Greening – or not – of America” 35, no 1 (2012): 52-64.
Book Sections/Chapters
- "What's So Funny about Childbirth? The Projection of Patriarchal Masculinity in Popular Comedic Childbirth Guides," in Essential Breakthroughs: Conversations about Men, Mothers, and Mothering (Demeter Press, 2015)
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“Disparate Destinations, Parallel Paths: An Analysis of Contemporary Atheist and Christian Parenting Literature,” Religion and the New Atheism: A Critical Appraisal, ed. Amarnath Amarasingam (Haymarket Books 2012; Brill Academic Publishers 2010).
- “Protestors as Persons of Interest: Coordinated Police Surveillance of a Funeral for Civil Rights,” Law against Liberty: The Criminalization of Dissent, ed. Jeff Shantz (Vandeplas Publishing).
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“Birthing New Life and Discovering New Strength” in Beyond Burning Bras: Feminist Activism for Everyone, ed. Laura Finley (ABC-CLIO).
Awards
- Indian River State College Adjunct Excellence Award for Engaging Underprepared Students (2023)
- Outstanding Adjunct Faculty Member, Indian River State College (2011)
- Provost’s Dissertation-Year Fellowship Award, Florida Atlantic University (2010)
Courses
| Course # | Course | Title | Mode | Days/Times | Syllabus |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 89857 | HUM2020 | Encountering the Humanities | Asynchronous Online (W) | 12:00 AM - 12:00 AM | Unavailable |
| 89861 | HUM2020 | Encountering the Humanities | Asynchronous Online (W) | 12:00 AM - 12:00 AM | Unavailable |
| 88851 | HUM2210 | Culture Ancient to 17th Cent | Asynchronous Online (W) | 12:00 AM - 12:00 AM | Unavailable |
| Course # | Course | Title | Mode | Days/Times | Syllabus |
|---|
| Course # | Course | Title | Mode | Days/Times | Syllabus |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 17640 | HUM2020 | Encountering the Humanities | Asynchronous Online (W) | 12:00 AM - 12:00 AM | Unavailable |
| 16729 | HUM2210 | Culture Ancient to 17th Cent | Asynchronous Online (W) | 12:00 AM - 12:00 AM | Unavailable |