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Philosophy Department Alumni Newsletter 2026-2027
W&M Philosophy Alumni Newsletter
2026-2027
From the Department Chair
Hello Alumni and Friends!
Greetings from Williamsburg, where Summer seems finally to be giving way to Fall, and where the jitters of the first weeks of classes have settled into the stable business of learning. As you’ll see from the rest of this newsletter, the past year has been filled with remarkable achievements, by both students and faculty: among them, a national championship, a baby.
My own main contribution to this newsletter is to remind you all that this year the Department’s annual homecoming reception will be held on Saturday, October 24. If you’re in town for the game – or for any other reason – please join us from 10:00am to noon in the Frank MacDonald Library (James Blair Hall 127). We’d love to see you and catch up. There will be plenty of wine, cheese, fruit, and other drinks and snacks to augment the nostalgia. And if you’re in town any other time, feel free to look me up.
As always, thank you so much for your contributions! This past year we received gifts from a huge number of alumni, for a total of over $12,000 dollars! It is really these contributions that allow the department to function the way that it does, funding faculty travel to national and international conferences, hosting picnics for the majors, paying for distinguished speakers to come and talk to faculty and students, and keeping our library and seminar room in good shape. We cannot thank you enough!
Joshua GertPhilosophy Department Chair
New Major Concentrations & Minor
Last fall, the Philosophy Department introduced two concentrations in addition to the standard major: “Ethics & Law” and “Ethics for Data & Computing. ” This year, the Department continues to expand its interdisciplinary offerings through a new AI Ethics Minor in collaboration with the School of Computing, Data Sciences, & Physics. The minor aims to cultivate technical computing skills with the ability to critically reflect on the nature, significance, and ethical implications of artificial intelligence.
Faculty News
Professor Matthew Haug Recently Promoted
Matthew Haug was promoted to Full Professor. He is currently working with Professor Meghan Quinn (W&M, Psychological Sciences) to test the “indirect harmony hypothesis” about self-control as a personality trait, which he defended in his 2025 book, Rethinking Self-Control.
Raft Debate Victory
Which discipline should survive a desert island to save humanity? Playing the Devil’s Advocate at the annual Raft Debate, Teaching Professor Jonah Goldwater successfully convinced attendees to leave the humanities, sciences, and social sciences behind!
Updates from Student Organizations
Philosophy Club
The Philosophy Club is back again, welcoming all students to engage in philosophical conversation weekly!
Ethics Bowl Competition Team
Last March, the Ethics Club won the 30th Annual Association for Practical and Professional Ethics Intercollegiate Ethics Bowl, earning the team its first national title.
The Philosophy Department
As pictured left to right, top to bottom: Laura W. Ekstrom, Pamela Barber, Paul Sheldon Davies, Timothy Costelloe, Philip Swenson, Tim Sommers, Noah Lemos, Matthew Haug, Jonah P.B. Goldwater, Aaron Griffith, Chad Vance, Victoria Costa, Joshua Gert, Christopher Tucker, and William D’Alessandro.
Recent Faculty Publications
Recent Faculty Publications
Laura W. Ekstrom
Dialogues on Free Will
What conversations might take place when two intelligent and informed young people – one a strong believer in free will and the other just as certain that we don’t have it – discuss their viewpoints?
Professor Laura Ekstrom’s new volume in Routledge's “Philosophical Dialogues on Contemporary Problems” series introduces both sides of this age-old philosophical debate in a lively and accessible way.
Aaron M. Griffith
Truth & Social Reality: A Metaphysical Inquiry
Published in 2025 with Oxford University Press, Truth & Social Reality: A Metaphysical Inquiry rebuts the cynicism of the "post- truth" age by defending the possibility and value of social truth. Professor Aaron Griffith brings together truthmaker theory and social ontology to explore a new account of social construction.
Support Philosophy
Contributions from alumni greatly enhance the intellectual life of the department. The Philosophy Department’s General Expendable Fund supports faculty research, student activities (like the Undergraduate Research Conference, and events for the entire department.
We thank you for your continued interest and support!
Alumni Updates
We’re always interested in the latest news from our alumni!
Please email [[philosophy]] to submit your updates.
Scholarship & Award Winners
Scholarship Winners
Jerry Miller Award
The Jerry Miller Award recognizes an outstanding undergraduate essay by a graduating philosophy major. In memory of beloved W&M alumnus Jerry Miller, it is endowed by Mr. and Mrs. William M. Richardson, the United Virginia Bank, and members of the family of Gerald G. Miller. No award is given when no entries are of sufficient quality. Up to two awards may be given when there is more than one deserving essay. Last year, the winner was Lia Feit.
Bosanko Awards
The Jennifer Bosanko Memorial Scholarship Fund was established by family and friends in memory of Jennifer, who was a philosophy major at William & Mary and a member of the class of 2009. The Bosanko Scholarships support students who, like Jen, demonstrate intellectual curiosity, industriousness, and a well-rounded approach to taking on the world. Last year, the scholarship was awarded to Lia Feit and Sasha Rinkevich.
Alan Fuchs Memorial Scholarship
The Professor Alan Fuchs Memorial Scholarship is a merit-based award of $5,000 and was established in memory of Alan Fuchs, Professor Emeritus of Philosophy (1941-2020). He taught generations of students at William & Mary from 1969 until his retirement from full-time teaching in 2007. Invitations are made based on overall GPA and nominations by faculty members. Last year, the winner was Chloe Cohen.
Gregory Pence Prize in Applied Ethics
The W&M philosophy department is proud to offer this annual prize, thanks to the generous endowment of bioethicist and W&M alum (‘70), Gregory Pence. After graduating from William & Mary, Dr. Pence went on to study with Peter Singer while earning his Ph.D. at NYU. He authored the best-selling textbook, Medical Ethics: Accounts of Ground-Breaking Cases (among many others), has won several teaching excellence awards at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, while coaching multiple national championship-winning Ethics Bowl teams. Each academic year, a prize of $1,000 will be awarded to the author of the best essay submission, as decided by the department awards committee. Last year, the winner was Bernardo Jimenez for his paper titled “Causal Relevance and Moral Obligation: A Response to Singer and Vance. ”
Student Research Spotlight
Sophia King worked on a summer research project with Professor Victoria Costa which was funded by the Charles Center. She wrote a paper titled, No Neutral Ground: How Physicians, Community Members, and the State Should Ethically Respond to Vaccine Hesitancy in Order to Bridge the Vaccination Divide. Her paper was accepted to be presented at the 16th Annual Midwestern Medical Humanities Conference on October 2nd, 2026.