Graduate Awards

The Graduate Awards Committee plays a significant role in recognizing the hard work and academic achievements of the Philosophy graduate students during the Philosophy department’s internal award process. The committee is compromised of two committee members and one committee coordinator who is responsible for coordinating the nominations process. The committee members work with the Director of Graduate Studies to determine the winners of the Teaching, Research, and Service awards.

Committee Members:

  • Sofia Esner (Nominations Coordinator), contact: ske5290@psu.edu

  • Nelson Peralta, contact: nzp223@psu.edu

  • Judith Chavarria, contact: jac8457@psu.edu


Diversity and Inclusion

The Diversity and Inclusion Committee (D&I) is one of the longest standing committees in the department, created after the advocacy and efforts of Dr. Emma Velez, a recent alumni. This committee focuses on bringing concrete and substantial change on issues that the PGSO feels are most pressing. This is perhaps the most effective avenue grad students currently have to address discrimination, access barriers, faculty trainings, and other department specific issues with race, sex, gender, class, disability, fatphobia, etc.

Committee Members:

  • Corena Smith, contact: cis5710@psu.edu

  • Gerald Nelson, contact: gkn5069@psu.edu

  • Ijeoma Ugboajah, contact: inu5042@psu.edu

Graduate Studies

The Graduate Studies Committee (GSC) makes many proposals to the Philosophy Graduate Faculty concerning the policies and procedures for the philosophy doctoral program. The graduate student representative is not a voting member of the GSC but plays an integral role in advocating for the wants and needs of the graduate students during the committee meetings that they are allowed to participate in.

Graduate Student Representative:

  • Daniel Olúwáṣetèmi Òní, contact: doo5163@psu.edu