June 15, 2018
Dear Alumni and Friends of the Department of Philosophy:
In our third issue of Colloquy, we continue with the format begun in our inaugural issue by featuring interviews with our alumni, faculty, and students. They talk about the varied paths that led them to philosophy and how philosophical study has influenced their lives.
We are particularly pleased in this issue to present interviews with undergraduate alumni who have gone on to careers as lawyers. As we approach Commencement, it seems fitting to highlight the accomplishments of our former undergraduates at the same time as our current seniors are getting ready to celebrate theirs. Featured are interviews with: Emily Rosenfelt, who is an attorney with the Los Angeles Alternate Public Defender; David Pettit, a senior attorney with the Natural Resources Defense Council; Matthew Heyn, Deputy Attorney General for the State of California; and Corinna McIntyre, a junior associate with Debevoise & Plimpton.
We also feature an interview with graduate alumnus Nathan Salmon, Professor of Philosophy at the University of California, Santa Barbara.
We include interviews with three faculty members: Gavin Lawrence, a scholar of ethics and ancient philosophy; Sherrilyn Roush, who joined the faculty this year and is a specialist in epistemology and the philosophy of medicine; and Sam Cumming, who works in philosophy of language, philosophy of mind, literature and film. We get the perspective of one of our current graduate students, Olufemi Taiwo, who is about to take up a tenure-track position at Georgetown University. We also include highlights from interviews with current undergraduates: Amanda Hust, Blair Kimble, Waner Zhang, and Chelsea Dyapa.
The generous support of our alumni and friends helps to make possible the education and the activities of these students. Whether through tutoring our students, helping our graduates find a career path, or donating to our programs, lectures, and the reading room, you help allow us to make philosophical thinking available to a wide range of people. We’re very grateful for your support and for the inspiration you provide to our students.
In closing, we hope you enjoy this issue and encourage you to keep in touch. You are always more than welcome at our colloquia, conferences, and special lectures. We have a number of special events planned for next year, including our inaugural Distinguished Lecture to be given by Professor Rae Langton, University of Cambridge; the Herb Morris Lecture in Law and Philosophy by Vice Provost Anita Allen of the University of Pennsylvania; and a host of talks as part of our two-year research cycle focusing on the history of philosophy. You can find notice of those events on our website. If you can’t make it in person, drop your former teachers a line and let us know how you are doing and your favorite memories of the department. Or, consider joining our Alumni Network where you can provide us your most current information and, if you wish, post a profile: http://philosophy.ucla.edu/alumni-friends-landing-page/. We’d love to hear from you one way or another.
Sincerely,
Seana Valentine Shiffrin
Chair, Department of Philosophy