Graduate Student Conferences

• The 12th Annual University of Kentucky Philosophy Graduate Student Conference took place Saturday, April 18, 2009. The theme of this year’s conference was "The Interdisciplinary Roles of Perception and Its Connection to Human Experience." The keynote speaker was Susanna Siegel, of Harvard University. The title of Professor Siegel’s paper was "Cognitive Penetrability and Perceptual Justification." The conference organizers were Erin Vallicelli and Philippa Satterwhite.
• In March 2008, the Department of Philosophy hosted the 11th Annual Graduate Student Conference. The keynote address was given by James Wolin of City University of New York. Commentaries were given by three of our own graduate students: Joshua Horn, Clint Jones, and Justin Spinks. The conference organizers were Joan Braune and Erin Vallicelli.
• On March 31, 2007, the University of Kentucky Department of Philosophy hosted the 10th Annual Graduate Student Conference, "Persons and Selves: Philosophical Perspectives." The conference was sponsored by the Department of Philosophy, the Social Theory Program, Women and Gender Studies, Cognitive Science Program, and the Graduate School. The keynote address was given by Marilyn Frye of Michigan State University. Professor Frye’s paper was entitled "What Kinds of Kinds Are We? Some Thoughts on the Ontology of Social Categories?" Four graduate students from other departments presented papers, and commentaries were given by Matthew Mullins, Erin Vallicelli, Elisia Taylor, and Christa Hodapp from our department.
• The International Graduate Student Conference: Islamic Philosophy and Theology Today was organized by Nazif Muhtaroglu and Oliver Leaman. It was held at the University of Kentucky September 28-30, 2007. The keynote speakers featured were Gerald Massey (University of Pittsburgh), Alparslan Acikgenc (Fatih University, Turkey), and Chryssi Sidiroupoulou (Bogazici University, Turkey). Nine graduate students from the US, Canada, the United Kingdom, and Turkey also presented papers.

Completed Dissertations

• Gilbert Lepadatu (2009), "The Early Heidegger's Transition from Life to Being" (Bruzina)
• Paul Carelli (2008), "Plato on Moral Wisdom & the Partition of the Soul" (Bradshaw)
• Joel Hunter (2008), "Measuring the World: Phenomenology and the Measurement Problem in Quantum Mechanics" (Bruzina)
• Christine Metzo (2008), "Bodily Being: The Intercorporeal Nature of the Materiality of Human Life" (Bruzina)
• Michael Tilley (2008), "Interpersonal Relationships and Community in Kierkegaard’s Thought" (Breazeale)
• Ronald Mercer (2007), "The Infinite as Originative of the Human as Human: A Transcendental Phenomenological Explication of the Philosophy of Emmanuel Levinas" (Bruzina)
• Joseph Okello (2007), "A Critique of Methodological Naturalism" (Bradshaw)
• Robert Sandmeyer (2007), "The Promised Land: The Problem of Edmund Husserl’s True Philosophy" (Bruzina)