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Philosophy News

Photo of maria kulpDr. Maria Kulp ​Accepts Assistant Professor Position in Baltimore

August 2014-- Congratulations to Dr. Maria Kulp, who recently accepted the position of Assistant Professor of Philosophy at Notre Dame of Maryland University in Baltimore. Dr. Kulp earned her B.A. at Roanoke College in 2005, with a major in philosophy and a minor in religion.  She recently earned her Ph.D. in philosophy from Loyola University in Chicago.  Her dissertation was entitled: "The Limits of Rationality: Suicidality, Affectivity, and the Rational."  Dr. Kulp taught as a Visiting Assistant Professor at Roanoke College in 2012-13, where her favorite classes were "Philosophies of the Self: Monsters, Zombies, and Freaks" and her class on "Suicide." Dr. Kulp is excited about joining a group of innovated educators and invested students in Baltimore.  Her advice for RC students? "Work harder than you think you can. Ask as many questions as you can.  Go hiking while you have the chance!"

North American Society for Philosophical Hermeneutics logoRoanoke College Hosts Annual Meeting of the North American Society for Philosophical Hermeneutics

August 2014-- Roanoke College is proud to host the annual meeting of NASPH, a society that finds its roots in the philosophy of Hans-Georg Gadamer, September 12-13, 2014.  Speakers include: Nicholas Davey (Keynote), Benjamin Crowe, Rodolphe Gasché, Kristin Gjesdal, Joseph Gruber, Rudolf Makkreel, Robert Valgenti, David Vessey, and Tsutomu Ben Yagi.  Registration information is available at www.nasph.org.  Two talks associated with the conference are open to the college community (and do not require registration).  "The Practical Value of the Humanities", September 11, 4:15, Pickle, and "Hermeneutics, Experience, and Education", Sept. 12, 4:15, Pickle, both by Nicholas Davey.  These events are generously sponsored by the Jordan Endowment for the Humanities, Roanoke College Pathways Program, and NASPH. Please direct questions to NASPH Secretary and Roanoke host, Monica Vilhauer (vilhauer@roanoke.edu).

Photo of steve chovanecSteve Chovanec Headed to Law School:

June 2013--Steve Chovanec, class of '13, is headed to Washington and Lee in Lexington, VA to begin Law School in the fall.  Washington and Lee is ranked 26th in America, according to the US News annual list.  Steve says he is attracted to the small class size at Washington and Lee (an average of 10 students), something he has grown to value during his time at Roanoke College.  This last year Steve was a member of the Ethics Bowl team, he was inducted into Phi Sigma Tau, the Honor Society for Philosophy, and graduated Magna Cum Laude.

Photo of ed hrinyaEd Hrinya Begins Job with AmeriCorps:

 June 2013--Ed Hrinya, class of '13, is about to begin an AmeriCorps VISTA position with The Advancement Foundation (TAF) in Vinton, VA.  They work to build capacity and create sustainability within non-profit organizations fighting poverty throughout southwest Virginia.  Ed will be writing grants both for TAF and for other non-profits.  Ed was the Senior Scholar in Philosophy this year, and he says "my philosophy degree is largely what got me this job, since they were looking for a strong writer for the position.  I'm looking forward to making a difference right here in my own community."

Photo of beth nicollBeth Nicoll Graduates from Law School:

June 2013--Beth Nicoll, class of 2010, graduated from New England Law in Boston this spring. She also had her article on University Student Speech and the Internet published in The New England Law Review.  This summer Beth is studying for and taking the Massachusetts bar exam, and then she will be moving to Austin, Texas, where she will begin a two-year clerkship with a judge in the state's highest court for criminal law.  In her clerkship she will be drafting opinions for the judge, and providing other research, writing, and editing help.

Photo of eric colemanEric Coleman Headed to Grad School:

June 2013--Eric Coleman,  class of 2010, was just accepted to a graduate program in Philosophy at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles.  Eric chose Loyola Marymount because it excels in the history of philosophy and contemporary continental philosophy.  He is particularly excited about studying Kierkegaard this coming fall. Eric also recently had his paper "Sustainability" in what state?: Green Sovereignty and the Production of Bare Life" accepted for presentation at the annual meeting of the Society for Literature, Science, and the Arts.  The conference theme this year is "Postnatural" and the meeting will be held at Notre Dame, October 3-6th, 2013.   

Photo of nick montgomeryNick Montgomery Begins Dissertation Work:

June 2013--Nick Montgomery, class of 2009, earned his Master's Degree in Philosophy from Brandeis University in the fall of 2010, and is now starting his third year in the Ph.D. program for Philosophy at Indiana University at Bloomington.  Nick's main areas of study are metaphysics and philosophy of language. His dissertation will be on Ineffability and Ontology, an interest he says was originally nourished at Roanoke College. 

 

Photo of monica vilhauerDr. Monica Vilhauer wins Exemplary Professional Achievement Award

June 2013--Congratulations to Dr. Vilhauer for winning the Dean's biennial Professional Achievement Award.  Highlights include her recent book Gadamer's Ethics of Play: Hermeneutics and the Other (Lexington, 2010) and her keynote address at the University of Gloucestershire, England in 2011, entitled "The Game of Understanding: Dialogue Play and Opening to the Other."