Experienced Professor with a 40+ year history of classroom teaching in philosophy and communication studies.

A staunch critic of standardized educational practices.

An ardent supporter of challenging students to cultivate a critical and reflective approach to their studies.

Committed to engaging all students, regardless of age, race, creed, ability, gender, religion, sexual orientation or political affiliation.

All are truly welcome!

Received the Florida Communication Association Teacher of the Year award (2004).

Served as SPC Faculty Senate President (2012-2107) and President of the Florida Communication Association (1999 & 2006).

Awarded competitive research grants from the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Council for Basic Education, and the National Science Foundation.

Ph.D. Philosophy, University of South Florida.
Dissertation: The Persistence of Casuistry: A Neo-Premodernist Approach to Moral Reasoning

M.A. Speech Communication, University of South Florida.
Thesis: Rhetoric, Epistemics, and Public Moral Discourse: Propspects for Rapprochment

M.A. Philosophy, Boston College

B.S. Philosophy, Suffolk University (Boston)

1981 Graduate, Masconomet Regional High School (Boxford, MA.)

Areas of Interest: philosophy and rhetoric, case-based reasoning (casuistry), ethics, dialogue, phenomenology, neo-premodernism.

More detailed biography below.

Dr. Mercadante's communication career began in his native state of Massachusetts, as a radio news anchor and disc jockey at several radio stations, including WBMT, WNBP, and WHAV. As a college student, he earned over 100 awards in speech and debate (forensics) competitions and was the New England Individual Events speaking champion for two years in a row. He also earned national speaking awards at several National Forensic Association championship tournaments. As a forensics coach, he trained numerous nationally qualifying forensics students.

Dr. Mercadante has over 40 years of teaching experience, which includes Jesuit High School, Hillsborough Community College, University of South Florida, Father Lopez High School, Bethune-Cookman College, Northeastern University, and Our Lady of Grace Seminary. He has taught a variety of courses including introduction to speech communication, public speaking, critical thinking, logic, ethics, philosophy, contemporary social problems, biblical literature, world religions, humanities, honors interdisciplinary studies, honors cornerstone and homiletics.

He also created a professional development course, Communication Skills for Teachers, along with several summer seminars on value debate. In 2004, he received the Florida Communication Association (FCA) Teacher of the Year Award and in 2007 he received the FCA Outstanding Service Award.

He has been awarded competitive research and education grants from:

The National Endowment for the Humanities (Philosophy and Medicine in Ancient Greece)

The Council for Basic Education (Aristotle on Friendship)

The National Science Foundation (Vico's Rhetorical View of Mathematics).

In both 1999 and 2006, he was elected President of the Florida Communication Association, a 90-year-old state organization that focuses on best practices for professional teaching and research in speech communication. For many years he was active in the SPC Faculty Governance Organization (FGO), elected as SPC Faculty Senate President from 2012 to 2107.

His hobbies include selling vinyl records on eBay.