Jennifer Frey

Jennifer Frey is the inaugural Dean of the Honors College at the University of Tulsa, holding a secondary appointment as Professor of Philosophy in the Department of Philosophy and Religion. Previously, she served as an Associate Professor of Philosophy at the University of South Carolina and held fellowships at the Institute for Human Ecology (Catholic University of America) and the Carver Project. She earned her Ph.D. in Philosophy from the University of Pittsburgh (2012) and a B.A. in Philosophy and Medieval Studies from Indiana University-Bloomington (2000).

Her research focuses on Aristotelian virtue ethics, moral psychology, and the philosophy of literature. She co-authored Practical Truth and Practical Wisdom, and co-edited Self-Transcendence and Virtue. She leads the Templeton Foundation-funded project “Virtue, Happiness, and the Meaning of Life” (2015). Frey’s work bridges academic philosophy with public engagement through essays in First Things, Image, and The Point, as well as her podcast Sacred and Profane Love, exploring philosophy’s intersection with art and theology.

Awarded the Doctor of Humane Letters (honorary) by the Dominican School of Philosophy and Theology, Frey is recognized for her contributions to integrating Catholic intellectual traditions into contemporary ethics. Her interdisciplinary projects emphasize practical truth and virtue in education and public life.