Special Programs and Opportunities

Speaker Series

• An opportunity to address the ways philosophy touches on important issues of our time
• View upcoming Speaker Series events
• Past visitors include:
• Alvin Plantinga on religion and science
• Charles Mills on philosophy of race
• Bertha Alvarez Manninen on abortion
• Nicholas Wolterstorff on art
• Meghan Sullivan on religious language
• Alicia Finch on divine foreknowledge and freedom

Awards

• The philosophy department gives out awards for excellence in philosophy
• These Charles E. Lake Memorial Awards are available to first-year, sophomore, junior and senior students. 2024 recipients were:
  • First-Year – Spencer Dykstra and Samantha Eriks
  • Sophomore – Stephen Price
  • Junior – Ava Arendt and Bryan Forrest
  • Senior – William Cooke and Sander Owens
• James B. Allis Philosophia Award
  • Xander Lams

Independent Study

• Independent studies are research and writing projects studying a particular philosopher or topic in-depth. These lead to a piece of writing that demonstrates strong philosophical scholarship.
• Students should speak to the department chair or a faculty member with expertise in their chosen area for more information.

Faculty-Student Research

• Students have worked with philosophy faculty to produce publishable papers and to present papers of their own and co-written papers at professional conferences
• Students have made important contributions to books such as Bringing Sex into Focus: The Quest for Sexual Integrity, Kierkegaard and the Catholic Tradition: Conflict and Dialogue, and What Does It Mean to Be Catholic?