Tag: Department of Philosophy


Doing It All

Russia-native Maria Gerasikova came to UA on a waterskiing scholarship. But after a back injury that ended her competitive career, she picked up three majors, joined UA’s competitive ballroom team, and filled her life with everything from theatre to mock trial.

Recent graduate Maria Gerasikova—a Russia native who was professionally waterskiing by age 15—said her first exposure to the summer sport was at an indoor pool in the middle of winter. “In Russia, athletes ski on a cable in the swimming pool during the winter so they can keep training even in cold weather,” Gerasikova said. “I saw them training for the first time when I was 12 or 13 years old. I was a swimmer at the time, and when […]

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UA Professor Receives Franklin Research Grant

From the September 2017 Desktop News | Dr. Chase Wrenn, an associate professor in the Department of Philosophy, is working to confront some of humanity’s most difficult-to-answer questions; namely, Wrenn is exploring the value of truth and why we care about it. In March and April of this year, Wrenn traveled to Scotland to the University of Edinburgh to join some of the world’s top scholars in conversations about truth. His trip was supported by the Franklin Research Grant from the American […]

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Philosopher Discusses Consciousness at Philosophy Today Lecture

Dr. Wayne Wu, an associate professor of philosophy and the associate director of The Center for the Neural Basis of Cognition at Carnegie Mellon University, will discuss how science and philosophy can illuminate consciousness in the upcoming Philosophy Today lecture. His lecture, “Mysteries of Consciousness: Connecting Mind and Brain,” will be held February 23 at 7:30 p.m. in room 205 of Smith Hall on the UA campus. The lecture is free and open to the public. Wu argues that science […]

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UA Mock Trial Team Wins First Place in Tournament

Members of the mock trial team.

From the January 2017 Desktop News | With a team that’s only existed for five years – and this year’s team being particularly green at that – no one expected The University of Alabama Mock Trial Team to come out on top of one of the largest collegiate mock trial tournaments in the country. But that’s exactly what they did. Over Veterans Day weekend, UA’s Mock Trial Team competed against more than 50 mock trial teams from 31 universities, including traditional mock […]

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Philosophy professor fields questions on Reddit’s “Ask Me Anything”

Dr. Kenneth Ehrenberg, an assistant professor of Philosophy at the University of Alabama, hosted a Reddit Ask Me Anything online interview on Sept. 26. Reddit is a social media platform composed of subreddits, or targeted forums of discussion, in which users can comment and vote on various topics. Ehrenberg had his Ask Me Anything, or AMA, session on /r/philosophy, a board with more than 8 million subscribers. “I got a lot of questions on issues that aren’t really my area of […]

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14 Graduates Receive Fulbright Awards

From the May 2015 Desktop News | A record 14 University of Alabama graduates have won Fulbright awards for 2015-2016. All are alumni of the College of Arts and Sciences. Thirteen UA graduates won awards as teaching assistants to conduct research and teach abroad, and one UA graduate received a Fulbright research award. The highly competitive Fulbright U.S. Student Program provides grants for individual research projects and for English teaching assistantships. More than 11,000 applicants compete for approximately 1,500 awards […]

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UCLA Philosopher to Present Lecture on Free Will, Moral Responsibility

Dr. Pamela Hieronymi, professor of philosophy at the University of California, Los Angeles, will deliver the final lecture of the 2013-2014 Philosophy Today lecture series. The lecture, “The Problem of Free Will and Moral Responsibility,” will be Feb. 20 at 7:30 p.m. in 205 Smith Hall on The University of Alabama campus. The event is free and open to the public. Hieronymi will discuss the different ways people come to worry about whether they are free and responsible and the […]

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Philosopher of Mind Discusses Consciousness

From the January 2014 Desktop News | Dr. John Searle, Slusser Professor of Philosophy at the University of California, Berkeley, will deliver the next lecture in the 2013-2014 Philosophy Today lecture series. His lecture, “Consciousness, the Brain, and the Soul,” will be presented Jan. 9 at 7:30 p.m. in 30 ten Hoor Hall on The University of Alabama campus. Searle is noted for his contributions to the philosophy of language, philosophy of mind and consciousness, on the characteristics of socially […]

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Philosopher, Artist, Dancer

While he might be a bit embarrassed to be labeled with such a lofty descriptor, Richard Richards is, nevertheless, often described by students and colleagues as a Renaissance man. Richards, a professor in the Department of Philosophy, joined the College’s faculty in 2000. He is a philosopher and noted scholar on the history of science, particularly the work of Charles Darwin. He has also had successful careers in professional dance and fine art. His students comment on his signature talent […]

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Philosophy Today Series Opens with Time Travel Discussion

Dr. Ned Markosian, a professor in the philosophy department at Western Washington University, will discuss the topic of time travel in the first lecture in the 2013-2014 Philosophy Today Series. His lecture, “Is Time Travel Possible?,” will be held Oct. 29 at 7:30 p.m. in room 205 of Smith Hall on The University of Alabama campus. Markosian will discuss the possibility of time travel to the past using the two leading theories about the nature of time: the Static Theory of […]

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