Rate My Professor Kevin Krein

Kevin Krein is Professor of Philosophy and Academic Director of the UAS Outdoor Studies Program at the University of Alaska Southeast (UAS) in Juneau, Alaska. He has been with UAS since 1998, progressing from Assistant Professor (1998–2005) to Associate Professor (2005–2017) and Professor (2017–present). Concurrently, he has served as Co-Director of the Outdoor Studies Program since 1999. Krein earned his B.A. in English and Philosophy from Willamette University in 1988 and his Ph.D. in Philosophy from the University of Toronto in 2001. His doctoral thesis, "Thoughts Animals Can Think: Attributing Beliefs and Describing Content," was supervised by Professor Ronald de Sousa.

Krein's primary research focuses on philosophy of sport and philosophy of mind, emphasizing nature sports such as skiing, climbing, and surfing that center on human-nature interactions. His book Philosophy and Nature Sports (Routledge, 2019) examines philosophical issues in these activities. Key publications include “Nature Sports” (Journal of Philosophy of Sport, 2014), “Reflections on Competition and Nature Sports” (Sport, Ethics and Philosophy, 2015), “High-level Enactive and Embodied Cognition in Expert Sport Performance” co-authored with Jesus Ilundain-Agurruza (Sport, Ethics and Philosophy, 2017), and contributions to symposia and chapters such as “Nature and Risk in Adventure Sports” (2007), “Excellence without mental representation” (2019), and “COVID-19, Risk, and Nature Sports” (2022). Krein has extensive university service, including UAS Faculty Senate President (2014–2015), Humanities Department Chair (2007–2009), and various search, review, and statewide committees. He serves on the editorial boards of Sport, Ethics and Philosophy and Journal of Philosophy of Sport (both since 2015) and chaired the Honors, Awards, and Future Sites Committee of the International Association for the Philosophy of Sport (2015–2019). With over two decades as a backcountry skier and professional guide, Krein integrates practical expertise into his academic work.