Department of Philosophy

Undergraduate Book and Research Awards

Undergraduate Book Awards

The Department now awards three undergraduate book prizes annually. These are:

• The Tom Tuttle Award
• The Ramona Cormier Award
• TheRobert Goodwin Award

The recipients of these awards in 2002 were, respectively, Donald Williams, Creed Mushimbo, and Alexander Frondorf.

The 2003 recipients were Alexander Frondorf, Brystana Kaufman, and Eric Stencil.

Undergraduate Innovation and Research Awards

In 2002, the department introduced the Undergraduate Innovation and Research Awards. These are to be awarded annually to up to six students who have written outstanding papers for a BGSU undergraduate course in philosophy during that year. The winners each receive a book award and $100 cash. In addition, each of the authors is invited to present the paper at the Undergraduate Innovation and Research Conference, held in May of each year.

The 2002 winners were:

• Betsy Barre, "Living After Loss: The Death of the Other as Catalyst for Authentic Living in Existentialist Thought."
• Meredith Briski, "Psychological Egoism: As Improbable as it is Illogical."
  
• Alex Frondorf, "Albert Camus and John Shelby Spong on the Problem of Natural Evil."
  
• Brystana Kaufman, "Scientific Explanation: A Subjective Endeavor."
  
• Jennifer Sproul, "Altruism: A Motivational Analysis."
  
• Donald S. Williams, "Did Socrates Commit Suicide?"
  

The 2002 Undergraduate Innovation and Research Awards Conference was addressed by Dr. Ann E. Cudd, Professor of Women's Studies and Philosophy at the University of Kansas, who gave the keynote address on the topic "Philosophy Matters: Preparing for Scientific and Technological Change." Also, Dr Kathryn Bradie, Assistant Professor in Religion and Philosophy at Heidelberg College presented a paper entitled "Hannah Arendt on Re Publica."

The 2003 winners were:

• Charles Curry, "A Rawlsian Response to Our Nation's Response to Terrorism."
• Dan Curtis, "Terrorism Involving Non-Combatants."
• Ajay Jetley, "It's Not Our Fault, and I Have the Argument to Prove It."
• Andrew Kuntz, "From Crisis to Conclusion."
• Donald Williams, "Breaking the Circle: Piety and Justice in Euthyphro."

The Keynote Speaker for the 2003 Undergraduate Research and Innovation Conference was Dr Michael Ruse, the Lucyle T. Werkmeister Professor of Philosophy at Florida State University, who spoke on "Darwinism and Christianity: Does Evil Spoil a Beautiful Friendship?"

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