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Philosophy News Number 6 | Summer 2009 In this issue • From the Chair 2 • Congratulations 3 • SPEL Graduate Students Achievements 4 • Featured faculty 6 • Faculty publications and presentations 7 • Alumni Career Network 9 • Alumni spotlight 10 • The course that changed my life 11 • Money matters 11 The Philosophy Department 2009 Homecoming Event Friday, October 2, 2009, 3:30-5 p.m. Philosophy Department, 12th floor, Library Tower Join other philosophy alumni for a reception celebrating philosophical creativity and imagination Leaf through faculty publications; network with other alumni, current undergraduate and graduate students, and the faculty Hosted by the Philosophy Department and with an introduction by the department’s incoming chair, Professor Max Pensky The reunion is a space for exploring what kind of department the Philosophy Department has become, and how it is changing and growing while building on its past Philosophy Reunion at Homecoming 2008 The Philosophy Department held its first alumni reunion as part of Homecoming 2008 Current undergraduate students enjoyed meeting and talking with alumni like Eric Lobenfeld ’71 (at center in photo) See Eric’s alumni profile at www2binghamtonedu/ features/alumni/lobenfeldhtml Please join the BU philosophy alumni group. We are organizing a Facebook page for our graduates: wwwfacebookcom/groupphp?gid=75596407145&ref=mf

Philosophy . . . . . .2 3 News 4 Number 6 | Summer 2009 ......admission to the College) are designed to promote diversity on college faculties by encouraging students from underrepresented

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Page 1: Philosophy . . . . . .2 3 News 4 Number 6 | Summer 2009 ......admission to the College) are designed to promote diversity on college faculties by encouraging students from underrepresented

Philosophy News Number 6 | Summer 2009

In this issue

• FromtheChair . . . . . . 2

• Congratulations . . . . . 3

• SPELGraduateStudentsAchievements . . . . . . 4

• Featuredfaculty . . . . . 6

• Facultypublicationsandpresentations . . . 7

• AlumniCareerNetwork . . . . . . . . . . . 9

• Alumnispotlight . . . . 10

• Thecoursethatchangedmylife . . . . 11

•Moneymatters . . . . . 11

The Philosophy Department 2009 Homecoming EventFriday, October 2, 2009, 3:30-5 p.m. Philosophy Department, 12th floor, Library Tower

Joinotherphilosophyalumniforareceptioncelebratingphilosophicalcreativityandimagination .Leafthroughfacultypublications;networkwithotheralumni,currentundergraduateandgraduatestudents,andthefaculty .

HostedbythePhilosophyDepartmentandwithanintroductionbythedepartment’sincomingchair,ProfessorMaxPensky .ThereunionisaspaceforexploringwhatkindofdepartmentthePhilosophyDepartmenthasbecome,andhowitischangingandgrowingwhilebuildingonitspast .

Philosophy Reunion at Homecoming 2008

ThePhilosophyDepartmenthelditsfirstalumnireunionaspartofHomecoming2008 .CurrentundergraduatestudentsenjoyedmeetingandtalkingwithalumnilikeEricLobenfeld’71(atcenterinphoto) .SeeEric’salumniprofileatwww2 .binghamton .edu/features/alumni/lobenfeld .html .

Please join the BU philosophy alumni group. WeareorganizingaFacebookpageforourgraduates:www .facebook .com/group .php?gid=75596407145&ref=mf .

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From the ChairThe2008-09academicyearismylastasdepartmentchairasIwillbesteppingdowntheendofAugustandProfessorMaxPenskywillbeginathree-yeartermasdepartmentchairinSeptember .IthasbeenaprivilegetoservethePhilosophyDepartmentthesepastsixyears .

Wehaveanadditionalchangeofofficers,andthisonehasalreadytakenplace .ChristopherKnappcompletedhistwo-yeartermasdirectorofthehonorsprogram(DHP)attheendoffall2008 .AnnaGotlibbeganhertwo-yeartermasDHPstartingspring2009 .

Thebudgetaryconstraintsfeltthroughoutacademehavebeenfilteringdowntothedepartmentlevelinavarietyofwaysthisyearand,asaresult,ithasbecomemoreandmorechallengingtomounttherightkindofcurriculum,inviteoutsidespeakers,andsupportresearchbystudentsandfacultyalike .Ithinkthatwehavebeensuccessfulagaininmeetingthechallengethankstoeveryoneinthedepartment’screativityandresourcefulness .

ThequalityofthePhilosophyDepartmentfacultyhasbeenrecognizedwiththepromotionofProfessorTonyPreustotherankofDistinguishedTeachingProfessoreffectiveMay2009;andseveralfacultywillbeonleaveintheupcomingacademicyear(2009-10) .ThisfallProfessorRandyFriedmanwillbeonajuniorfacultydean’sresearchleave .ProfessorAnnaGotlibwillbeonajuniorfacultydean’sresearchleaveinspring2010 .Iwillbeonsabbaticalinfall2009andondean’schair’sresearchleaveinspring2010 .

Forfall2009weareplanningoursecondHomecomingeventandhopethatmanyofouralumniwillcomeandvisitwithus .WewillhaveareceptionatthePhilosophyDepartmentandanopportunitytonetworkwithallpresent .

Formoreinformationaboutthedepartment,pleaselookatourwebsiteatwww2 .binghamton .edu/philosophy .ThewebsitehasbeenrevampedtofittheUniversity’sunifiednewlook .

Thenewsletterhasadedicatedspacefornewsfromphilosophyalumni .Wearealllookingforwardtohearingfromyou .

Bat-Ami Bar On DepartmentChair

Professor Bat-Ami Bar On

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Congratulations to…Professor Anthony PreusforhispromotiontoDistinguished Teaching Professor,whichwasapprovedbytheSUNYBoardofTrusteesintheirMay2009meeting .ProfessorPreus,whoisalsoMasterofCollege-in-the-Woods,receivedhisPhDfromJohnsHopkinsUniversityin1968 .HehasbeenatBinghamtonsince1964 .HisareasofresearchandteachingincludeancientGreekphilosophyandmedicalethics .ProfessorPreus,whowasaRhodesScholarandhasbeendescribedbyprofessionalcolleaguesasanexemplaryscholar,saysofhimselfthatheneverhadanydoubtthathewouldbeateacher .“Educationhasbeenthepreferredprofessionofmyfamilyforgenerations;theonlyquestionwaswhatIwouldteach .”HehaschosentoteachphilosophyandthePhilosophyDepartmentatBinghamtonUniversityisproudtohavehimonitsfaculty .

Professor Bat-Ami Bar OnforreceivingtheAward for Faculty Excellence in Graduate Student Mentoring.Thisawardrecognizesextraordinaryperformanceandachievementinmentoringgraduatestudents .Criteriaincludeclearevidencebeyondformalclassroomteachingofhelpinggraduatestudentsbecomeestablishedasindependentscholarsandprofessionals .

Professor Randy Friedmanforbeingawardedadean’sresearchleaveforfall2009;Professor Anna Gotlibforbeingawardedadean’sresearchleaveforspring2010 .

Philosophy Major Ms. Julietta RoseforbeingawardedtheDillonAwardandHighestHonors .Ms .RosewillbebeginningaPhDprograminphilosophyattheUniversityofMassachusetts-Amherst .SheisaparticipantinthePellHonorsProgram .

Philosophy Major Mr. Randy BenjenkforbeingawardedHighHonors .HewillbeattendingHarvardLawSchoolandisaparticipantinthePellHonorsProgram .

Philosophy Major Mr. Chris BrownforbeingawardedHonors .

Professor Anthony Preus

Newsbriefs

Professor Max Pensky’sarticle“Amnestyontrial:impunity,accountability,andthenormsofinternationallaw,”whichwaspublishedin2008inEthics and Global Politics,afree-accessonlinejournal,wasdownloadedmorethan2,500times .YoucanfindaPDFversionatjournals .sfu .ca/coaction/index .php/egp/issue/view/2 .

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SPEL Graduate Students AchievementsShay Welch,PhDstudent,wononeoftwoGaius Charles Bolin Dissertation and Post-MFA FellowshipsatWilliamsCollegeforwhichtherewere200applications .TheGaiusCharlesBolinFellowships(namedafterGaiusCharlesBolin,thefirstblackgraduateofWilliams,andfundedin1985,onthecentennialofhisadmissiontotheCollege)aredesignedtopromotediversityoncollegefacultiesbyencouragingstudentsfromunderrepresentedgroupstocompleteaterminalgraduatedegreeandtopursuecareersincollegeteaching .TheBolinFellowshipsaretwo-yearresidenciesatWilliams .Welchwillbeginherfellowshipinfall2009 .Shewillbedevotingthebulkofthefirstyear(2009-10)tothecompletionofdissertationworkwhilealsoteachingonecourseasafacultymemberinthePhilosophyDepartment .Inhersecondyearofresidency(2010-11),andideallywithherPhDinhand,shewillspendhertimeonacademiccareerdevelopmentwhileagainteachingjustonecourse .

Selin Gürsözlü,PhDstudent,wonrecognitionfortheexcellenceofherteaching .ShereceivedherGraduate Student Excellence in Teaching AwardataceremonyinMarch2009 .Gürsözlüfocusesondevelopingteachingstrategiesthatencouragestudentstothink—alongwithherandontheirownaswell .Shedescribesherselfcognizantofsome(maybemost)students’experiencesofsocialandpsychologicalpressureinaclassroomandiscommittedtohelpingstudentsdevelopthecouragetosharetheirthoughts .

Monica Mueller(dissertationtitle:An Inquiry into the Relation between Thought and Action: Interpreting Phronesis )waschosentoreceivetheDistinguished Dissertation Award .Givenatgraduation,thisawardrecognizessuperiorworkbyadoctoralstudent .Agraduateprogramcanrecommendonlyonedissertationforthisaward,whichisevaluatedagainstotherdissertationinitscategory(inDr .Mueller’scase,theHumanitiesandFineArtscategory) .Aminimalqualificationisthatatleastpartofthedissertationisofpublishablequality(whichwasnoprobleminDr .Mueller’scasesincepartofherdissertationisforthcomingasajournalarticle) .

Alejandro Arango VargasandLewis Trelawny-CassitywereawardedtheBest Graduate Student Paper PrizefromtheEasternInternationalRegionoftheAmericanAcademyofReligion .

Josh WretzelreceivedanAmerican Philosophical Association (APA) Graduate Travel Stipend,whichisissuedtoassist

Shay Welch

Selin Gürsözlü

Monica Mueller

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graduatestudentswhosepapershavebeenacceptedforAPAdivisionalmeetings .

Other Achievements

Jason MalloryandMonica Muellerdefendedtheirdissertationsthisacademicyear .Inaddition,Dr .Mallorystartedastenure-trackfacultyatRaritanValleyCommunityCollegeinfall2008 .Dr .Muellerwillstartastenure-trackfacultyatCapitalUniversityinfall2009 .

Brandon Davis-Shannon, Jess Kyle, Jessie Payson, Regan RuleandRichard SaucedowereawardedtheirMAsontheirwaytoPhDs .

Francine FooteandAndrea Passantino(fromtheBA/SPELMAcombined5-yearprogram)completedtheirMAsandwillbestartinglawschoolinfall2009 .

Fuat GürsözlüacceptedavisitingassistantprofessorpositionintheDepartmentofPhilosophyatDalhousieUniversityinHalifax,NovaScotia .

Selin GürsözlüwillbeagraduateassistantforthePhilosophyinanInclusiveKeySummerInstitute(PIKSI)program,RockEthicsInstitute,PennsylvaniaStateUniversity .Gürsözlü hasalsoacceptedanappointmentasvisitinginstructorintheDepartmentofPhilosophyatGrandValleyStateUniversityinMichigan .

Publications

Fuat Gürsözlü—Forthcoming .“AgonismandDeliberation:RecognizingtheDifference”(The Journal of Political Philosophy ) .

Jack Marsh—2008 .“TowardaReturntoPluralityinArendtianJudgment,”Kritike2(2) .2008 .Reviewof“DiscoveringLevinas”byMichaelMorgan(inLe Mal: Cahiers d’Etudes Lévinassiennes,no .7 .,ed .CarineBrenner:369-373) .2009 .“OfViolence:TheForceandSignificanceofViolenceintheEarlyDerrida”(Philosophy and Social Criticism35(3):269-286) .

Monica Mueller—Forthcoming .“CalculativeDeliberationisInsufficientforPracticalWisdom”(The Journal of Value Inquiry ) .

Jessie Payson—2009 .“MoralDilemmasandCollectiveResponsibilities”(Essays in Philosophy ) .

Newsbriefs

YoucanfindProfessor Eric Dietrich’sdiscussionof21st-centuryscienceinthe2009editionofBinghamton Researchatresearch .binghamton .edu/BinghamtonResearch/2009/A_new_dream .php .

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Featured Faculty

Anna Gotlib

Anna Gotlibjoinedthedepartmentin2007aftercompletingherPhDatMichiganStateUniversity .SheisnowinhersecondyearatBinghamtonandcan,likeapro,locatebothherofficeandtheclassroomsinwhichsheisteaching .Previoustoherbuddingacademiccareer,sheenduredthetravailsofCornellLawSchoolandashortstintasalawyer,practicinginternationalandlaborlawinNewYork,DenverandAlmaty,Kazakhstan .Sheworksprimarilyinthefieldsofethics(especiallymoralpsychologyandnarrativeethics)andmedicalethics,butalsoventuresintothemurkywatersofthephilosophyoflaw,socialandpoliticalphilosophy,andfeministtheory .Shecurrentlyhasseveralarticlesinprogress;severalothersareawaitingprint,ontopicsthatrangefromthedefinitionof“badmotherhood,”tothesocialmanipulationofmaternalbodies,totheethicaldilemmasinvolvedinthedevelopmentoftechniquesofmedicalmemorymanipulation .SheisalsoveryhappytohavebeenappointedasthedirectorofthePellHonorsProgramandeagerlyawaitstheopportunitytoworkwithsomeverybrightandmotivatedphilosophyandPPLstudents .Whennotinthegripofallthingsphilosophical,ProfessorGotliblikestospendtimewithherhusbandandtheirbunny,Clover,and,amongotherthings,buildingandlaunchingmodelrockets .ProfessorGotlibishappytoreportthat,sofar,noinjurieshaveresultedtoeitherthelaunchersoranyoneunfortunateenoughtobestandinginthevicinity .

Randy Friedman

Randy FriedmanjoinedthedepartmentsofPhilosophyandJudaicStudiesin2005 .Hisresearchincludescontinentalphilosophy,AmericanpragmatismandmodernJewishthought .Hisworkexplorestheconstructionofsubjectivityandintersubjectivityandtheconceptualizationofthemetaphysicalinseveralfigures,includingEdmundHusserl,FranzRosenzweig,MartinBuber,MordecaiKaplanandEmmanuelLevinas .Heisparticularlyinterestedinthetensionsbetweennaturalandnaturalizingphilosophyandmetaphysics .Inotherwords,howmodernJewishphilosophyreconstructsthecentraltheologicalcategoriesofcreation,revelationandredemption .HewasawardedaDean’sResearchSemesterAwardforJuniorFacultyforfall2009 .HeisplanningoncompletingthreearticlesthatgroundabookonthetensionsbetweenimmanenceandtranscendenceinmodernJewishphilosophy .ThearticlesexaminethedebatesbetweenRosenzweig,Buber,LevinasandMordecaiKaplanonthenatureandfunctionofthedivine,thestatusofrevelationandthe

Anna Gotlib

Randy Friedman

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tasksofredemption,andtracethephilosophicalinheritancesofthesefiguresinordertobettershapeaninterpretiveframeworkfortheirreligiousthought,whichrevolvesaroundashiftfromrecognitionofatranscendentalGodtoanethicsinwhichtheOther’sneedsshapeourownsubjectivity .

Workathomehasinvolvedexploringtheconstructionofplaytents,cribs,tricyclesandotherobjectsinvolvingtheuseofAllenwrenches .InDecember,RandyandBrendawelcomedEllieTamar’slittlesister,MikaHadas,tolifeinBinghamton .Sheiscurrentlyout-sleepingEllie,butisnotyetallowedtoeatchocolatedonutslikeherbigsister .

Faculty Publications

Professor Jeffner Allen

• 2009 .“PhilosophyandPorousImagination:BetweenCoralReefs .”South African Journal of Philosophy Special Issue on African Philosophy.

• 2008 .“DivingPlanetarity .”This Watery World: Humans and the Sea,2nded .Eds .VartanMessierandNanditaBatra .Newcastle-upon-Tyne:CambridgeScholarsPress .

• 2008 .“Danslesrouagesétincelantsdumythetoujoursenmouvement:Dé-composerBeauvoir .”[“AmongGlowingWheelsofMythRarelySettling:De-Composing‘Beauvoir .’”]Simone de Beauvoir cent ans après sa naissance: Contributions interdisciplinaires de cinq continents.Ed .ThomasStauder .Tübingen:GunterNarrVerlag .

Professor Eric Dietrich

• 2008 .“TheBishopandPriest:Towardapoint-of-viewbasedepistemologyoftruecontradictions .Logos Architekton2/2 .

• 2008 .“SomeStrangenessintheProportion,orHowtoStopWorryingandLearntoLovetheMechanisticForcesofDarkness .CommentaryonE .SelingerandT .Engström’s“AMoratoriumonCyborgs:Computation,Cognition,andCommerce .”Phenomenology and the Cognitive Sciences7 .*2008 .“Pluralism,RadicalPluralism,andthePoliticsoftheBigBang .J. of Exper. and Theor. Artificial Intelligence.

• 2008 .“TowardExtendingtheRelationalPrimingModel:SixQuestions .CommentaryonRobertLeech,DenisMareschal,

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RichardCooper’s“AnalogyasRelationalPriming:Adevelopmentalandcomputationalperspectiveontheoriginsofacomplexcognitiveskill .”Behavioral and Brain Sciences31/4 .

Professor Charles Goodman

• 2009 .Consequences of Compassion: An Interpretation and Defense of Buddhist Ethics.OxfordUniversity .TomanyWesterners,themostappealingteachingsoftheBuddhisttraditionpertaintoethics .ManyreadershavedrawnonBuddhism'semphasisoncompassion,nonviolenceandtolerance,itsconcernforanimals,anditsmodelsofvirtueandself-cultivation .Therehasbeen,however,controversyandconfusionaboutwhichWesternethicaltheoriesresembleBuddhistviewsandinwhatrespects .Inthisbook,CharlesGoodmanilluminatestherelationsbetweenBuddhistconceptsandWesternethicaltheories .EveryversionofBuddhistethics,saysGoodman,takesthewelfareofsentientbeingstobetheonlysourceofmoralobligations .Buddhistethicscanthusbesaidtobebasedoncompassioninthesenseofamotivationtopursuethewelfareofothers .Onthisinterpretation,thefundamentalbasisofthevariousformsofBuddhistethicsisthesameasthatofthewelfaristmembersofthefamilyofethicaltheoriesthatanalyticphilosopherscallconsequentialism .Goodmanusesthishypothesistoilluminateavarietyofquestions .HeexaminesthethreetypesofcompassionpracticedinBuddhismandarguesfortheirimplicationsforimportantissuesinappliedethics,especiallythejustificationofpunishmentandthequestionofequality .

Professor Robert Guay

• 2009 .ReviewofRobertWicks,SchopenhauerinNotre Dame Philosophical Reviews.

Professor Christopher Knapp

• 2009 .“SpeciesInegalitarianismasaMatterofPrinciple .”Journal of Applied Philosophy26/2 .

Professor Max Pensky

• 2009 .“Transition,Amnesty,andSocialTrust:LessonsfromSouthAfrica,”inJosephLewandowski,editor,Trust and Transitions: Social Capital in a Changing World,CambridgeScholarsPress .

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• 2009 .“PragmatismandSolidaritywiththePast:Mead,Benjamin,andtheEndsofMemory,”inChadKautzerandEduardoMendieta,editors,Pragmatism, Nation and Race: Community in the Age of Empire,UniversityofIndianaPress .

Professor Steve Scalet

• 2009 .Nintheditionofaleadingintroductorymoralandpoliticalphilosophytextbookinthecountry .Morality and Moral Controversies.Co-editedwiththelateJohnArthur,PrenticeHall .

• 2008 .StudentessaysfromthePPLandphilosophyPellHonorsProgram .Justice and Law and Social Philosophy: Our Changing Points of View.GlobalAcademicPublishing .

Professor Lisa Tessman

• 2009 .“ExpectingBadLuck .”Hypatia: A Journal of Feminist Philosophy.24/1 .

• 2008 .“ReplytoCritics .”Hypatia: A Journal of Feminist Philosophy.23/3 .Thisarticleispartofthe“TessmanSymposium”onBurdened Virtues,includingtheworkofthreecritics(CheshireCalhoun,MarilynFriedmanandChristineKoggel)andTessman’sresponse .

The Alumni Career NetworkTheAlumni Career NetworkisasearchabledatabaseofBinghamtonalumniwhohavevolunteeredtobecontactedbycurrentstudentsandalumniregardingcareerinformation .Therearecurrently47philosophymajorsand48PPL(orLawandSociety,whichiswhatPPLusedtobecalled)majorswhoarepartofthisnetwork .IfyouareacurrentphilosophyorPPLmajor,considerusingthenetworktoidentifyalumniwhohavevolunteeredtobetheretogiveyouinformation .Theycanbeidentifiedbyprofession,employer,location,majororgraduateinstitution .IfyouareaphilosophyorPPLgraduate,considerbecomingpartoftheAlumniCareerNetwork .Tousethenetworkgotowww .bconnectalumni .binghamton .edu .

Ifyouwanttocontactthealumniofficedirectly,sende-mailtoalumni@binghamton .eduorcall607-777-2431 .

Ifyouwanttocontactthealumniofficedirectly,sende-mailtoalumni@binghamton .eduorcall607-777-2431 .

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Alumni SpotlightStacey DanielcompletedtwodegreesinfouryearsatBinghamtonUniversity,thenwentstraightthroughFordhamLawSchool .Immediatelyupongraduating,shebeganworkasarealestateassociatewithSchulteRoth&ZabelLLP,thefirmsheclerkedwithduringthesummer .

Atacrossroadsofsortsasshewrappedupherbachelor’sdegree,DanielsoughtguidancefromthelateProfessorJohnArthuraboutwhethertocontinueonforamaster’sdegreeorheaddirectlytolawschool .“Hereallyinfluencedme,”shesays .“Basically,hesaidthatwhenI’monmydeathbed,Iwouldremembermylastyearofcollege,butnottheextrayearofpracticinglaw,soIdecidednottograduateearlyandtogoonformymaster’s .”

DanielcallsherselfluckythatshecametoBinghamtonknowingwhatshewantedtodo .“Ididakindofmini-debateinmiddleschoolandmyteachersaid,‘Youcould[bealawyer],’anditstuck,”shesays .HerdecisiontobecomealawyerwasconfirmedassoonasshestartedtakingPPLcourses .“Thisistherightfitforme,”shesays .“ListeningtoJohnArthurtalkingaboutthelaw,arguingaboutwhythelawsareonthebooks . . .whysomelawsworkandsomedon’t . . .”madeherchoiceeasy .

“SincemyolderbrotherwenttoBinghamton,IvisitedandhetoldmeaboutthePPLprogram .IcameinknowingIwantedtodoPPL .Theprofessorsaresofocusedongettingyoutothinkaboutthesocialworldandhowyourlifecaninfluencepoliticsandtheworld—howwestructureourselvesthewaywedo,”saysDaniel .

ShecreditsLisaTessman,associateprofessorofphilosophy,andherMAthesisadviser,ProfessorBat-AmiBarOn,forinfluencingher .“Theyweresoopenandwelcomingandinterestedinme,andhowandwhatIwasdoing,”shesays .Theyreinforcedthat“everyoneisallowedtoexpresstheiropinionsandwe’reallowedtochangeourmindsandthinkaboutwhatwewanttopursueinourlives .”

“AtBinghamton,Ienjoyedmyself,studiedashardasIcould,andthePhilosophyDepartmentwasinterestedinmeandwhatIwantedtobewhenIgrewup .Iwasn’tanamelessface,”shesays .“BinghamtonisagreatschoolandtheeducationIreceivedtherewasamazing .Ievenhaveacousintherenow .”

Stacey Daniel

“ At Binghamton, I enjoyed myself, studied as hard as I could, and the Philosophy Department was interested in me and what I wanted to be when I grew up. I wasn’t a nameless face. Binghamton is a great school and the education I received there was amazing.”

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The Course That Changed My LifeFrom Kayleigh George, Binghamton University Library Marketing Coordinator

AcollegecoursethatchangedmylifewasIntroductiontoPhilosophy .IwasafreshmanatBinghamtonUniversity,andwaslookingforsomethinginteresting—arealchallenge .Luckilyenough,myprofessorwasMartin Dillon.OneofthemostpopularprofessorsattheUniversity,ProfessorDillonwaslargelyresponsibleforinspiringundergraduatestomajorinphilosophy .Ifanyonewastrulymeanttoteach,itwashim .Hisintellectmatchedhisabilitytoconveyideas,whichisararefindinaprofessor .Hewasmagnetic—atrulycharismaticteacher,andapleasuretolistento .Hiscoursebookssitonmybookcasetothisday,includingworksbyFriedrichNietzsche,SørenKierkegaard,MartinHeidegger,Jean-PaulSartre,JeremyBenthamandLaoTzu .Shortlybeforehisdeathin2005,IwasfortunatetotakeanothercoursewithProfessorDillon:ExistentialismandModernThought .Iwillalwayscredithimwithopeningmymindandinspiringmetothinkindependently .

Martin Dillon

Money MattersIwouldliketobeginbythankingthoseofyouwhohavesentusdonationsbothforthePhilosophyGeneralFundandfortheMartinDillonMemorialFund .Thisandlastyear,Dr .MartinRinglehasbeenourspecialdonortothePhilosophyGeneralFund .

TheMartinDillonMemorialFundhasbeengrowingsteadilyandpassed$16,500 .Itproducesenoughincomeininterestforprizesthatweregiventothebesthonorstudents .Sincewecanalsousesomemoneyfromthefundtosupportphilosophyundergraduatestudenttraveltoundergraduatephilosophyconferences,itisimportantforthefundtocontinuegrowing .

Whatweneedtobuild,inadditiontotheMartinDillonMemorialFund,areotherdedicatedfundsand/orthePhilosophyGeneralFund,whichisabout$8,500shortofbecominga$15,000endowment .ItwillbewonderfultoturntheGeneralFundintoanendowmentthatwillpayforaPhilosophyDepartmentalSpeakersSeries,forexample .Ifyou’reinterestedinlearningmoreaboutdonatingtothedepartment,pleasecontactmeor,beginningSeptember1,incomingdepartmentchairMaxPenskybycalling607-777-3616 .

IamawarethatItendtoprovideawishlist .Thedepartmentdependsonyourgenerositymoreandmore .Your contributions really matter.Pleasecontinuetohelpourwishlistcometrue .All donations small and large are welcome.

Continued on page 12

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PhilosophyDepartmentPOBox6000Binghamton,NewYork13902-6000

Non-ProfitOrg .USPostage

PAIDBinghamton,NYPermitNo .61

Phone:607-777-2735,607-777-3616 |Fax:607-777-2734 |E-mail: jeastlic@binghamton .edu |philosophy .binghamton .edu

The department depends on your generosity more and more. Your contributions really matter. Please continue to help our wish list come true. All donations small and large are welcome.

Youcanmakeyourgiftonlinebygoingtowww .bconnectalumni .binghamton .edu/Giving/index .asp .Inthesectionfor“GiftInformation,”firstchooseHarpurCollegeastheschoolorunit .Thenselect“otheraccount,”completetheamountandtypeeitherPhilosophyGeneralFund,Account#10794;theMartinDillonMemorialFund,Account#20232;ortheLeonGoldsteinScholarshipFundinPhilosophy,Account#20361 .HarpurCollegeandBinghamtonUniversityalsowouldgreatlyappreciateyourgenerosity .Ifyouprefersendingacheck,pleasemakeitpayabletotheBinghamtonUniversityFoundationusingtheprintableformatwww .bconnectalumni .binghamton .edu/Giving/PrintableGiftPage .pdf .

YoucanalsocontacttheHarpurCollegedevelopmentofficer,LisaCourt,at607-777-4277orsende-mailtolcourt@binghamton .edu .Shewillbehappytodiscussgiftopportunitieswithyou .

Bat-AmiBarOn

Money Matters continued from page 11