Dr. Kaz Bland serves as Honorary Research Fellow in the Discipline of Philosophy, School of Humanities, at the University of Western Australia. She earned her PhD in Philosophy from the University of Adelaide in 2019, with a thesis entitled 'The Good, the Right & the Exigencies of Life: John Dewey & the Value of Moral Disagreement.' Prior to that, she completed a BSc Honours in Philosophy at the University of New South Wales in 2005, focusing on 'Confucius & John Dewey.' Bland discovered philosophy in her thirties as an undergraduate seeking to move away from a career in cooking. Following her doctorate, she taught philosophy casually at several universities across various Australian states before taking up her role at UWA as a lecturer and practitioner of philosophy in the community, marking her first full-time academic position.

Bland's research specializations include Philosophy in Community, Philosophy for Children, Ethics, Ethics Education, Applied Ethics, Bioethics, and the Community of Inquiry methodology. She views philosophy as a practical method for careful and critical thinking about significant problems, advocating better ways of approaching issues even without definitive solutions. Her notable publications are 'Doing Philosophy: Beyond Books and Classrooms' (co-authored with R. A. Wilson, Journal of Philosophy in Schools, 2023) and 'Philosophical inquiry in a culturally diverse, faith-based community' (with K. Adusei-Asante, N. Kirkham, D. Nelson, and S. Tarrant, Journal of Philosophy in Schools, 2023). In recognition of her innovative educational contributions, she received the 2023 Work Integrated Learning Award: Innovation Award, jointly with R. Wilson. Bland holds leadership roles as Director of Philosophical Engagement in Public Life (PEiPL) since 2020, and serves on committees for the Australian Philosophy in Schools (APIS) and the Australasian Association of Philosophy's Philosophy in Community Committee (PiCC), both since 2020. As an award-winning teacher, she leads programs like Eurekamp Oz!, which builds young minds through communities of philosophical inquiry, and contributes to UWA's micro-credentials in Community of Inquiry and Philosophy in Communities, impacting public engagement with philosophy across diverse groups and ages.

Professional Email: kaz.bland@uwa.edu.au