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On a U of T blue background, portrait shots of (l to r) Cameron Yetman, Joshua Brecka, and Alexander Drusda. All are young white man with short hair and glasses. Brecka has a full short beard. Their names accompany the images in light blue.

2025 CPA Prize Winners: Cameron Yetman, Alexander Drusda, Joshua Brecka

Published: June 3, 2025

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At the Canadian Philosophical Association (CPA) Annual Congress on June 2, 2025, three of our graduate students—Cameron Yetman, Alex Drusda, and Josh Brecka—were formally recognized as winners of CPA 2025 academic prizes, recognizing excellence in philosophical scholarship across multiple categories. Yetman and Drusda both received a CPA Student Essay Prize, … Read More

Upper-body shot of Salem Kakish, a smiling young man with short brown hair wearing a checkered shirt underneath a beige trench coat standing against a backdrop of the roofs of Paris. All this on a U of T blue background with his name in orange and the words "Class of 2025" in beige.

Salem Kakish: Philosophy, Purpose, and the Power of Community—A Graduand Profile

Published: June 2, 2025

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When Salem Kakish reflects on his undergraduate journey at the University of Toronto, he doesn’t just see a degree in philosophy—he sees a transformation. A graduating fourth-year philosophy specialist and soon-to-be Oxford law student, Salem’s story is one of intellectual curiosity, resilience, and a deep commitment to community.  Born in … Read More

On a U of T blue background, a black-and-white headshot of Mark Kingwell, a serious-looking white man with short hair in his late fifties.

Examining a Crisis of Trust: Mark Kingwell’s Latest Book

Published: May 28, 2025

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Mark Kingwell’s latest book, Question Authority: A Polemic about Trust in Five Meditations (Biblioasis 2025), examines what he perceives as an immense crisis of trust in institutions of democratic authority and knowledge production. Kingwell asks readers to reassess how they think for themselves, also offering suggestions for restoring a healthy … Read More

Head shot of Alex Koo, an East Asian man with short black hair, glasses, and wearing a light blue button-down, smiling into the camera

Alex Koo Wins Outstanding Teaching Award–Early Career

Published: May 24, 2025

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Alex Koo, an assistant professor in the Teaching Stream, has won the Faculty of Arts & Science’s Outstanding Teaching Award–Early Career. The award recognizes excellence in undergraduate and graduate education, with a focus on classroom instruction, course design, and curriculum development. “The quality of our undergraduate and graduate teaching is … Read More

Head shot of Samuella Ojo, a young black woman with natural hair, alongside the official logo of The Agora podcast, and on a U of T blue background the words, "Samuella Ojo & The Agora"

The Agora: UTSC’s New Student-Led Philosophy Podcast

Published: May 14, 2025

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A new podcast at the University of Toronto Scarborough is inviting students to slow down and think more carefully. The Agora, launched by the Association of Philosophy Students (APS), is a student-led initiative that brings philosophical discussion into a format that’s accessible, engaging, and timely. Rather than offering answers, it … Read More

On a U of T blue background, from left to right, headshots of: Soouyoung Moon, Joshua Brecka,Alexander Drusda and Faisal Bhabha (top row); Jules Sheldon, Yi-Chen Lin, and Zoe Leslie (bottom row), all alongside their names in light blue

2025 Graduate Student Service Awards

Published: May 7, 2025

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At the Department of Philosophy’s annual Spring Party, Faisal Bhabha, Josh Brecka, Alex Drusda, Zoe Leslie, Yi-Cheng Lin, Sooyoung Moon, and Jules Sheldon each received a Graduate Student Service Award. The annual prize celebrates initiatives undertaken by graduate students to support and improve the community. “The functioning and climate of our … Read More

A young East Asian woman wearing glasses and a black-and-white checkered blouse smiles broadly into the camera standing in front of a bookshelf.

Jovy Chan Successfully Defends Dissertation

Published: May 6, 2025

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Congratulations to Jovy Chan, who recently defended her doctoral dissertation with success, making her the department’s latest PhD. Chan wrote “Managing the Human Herd in the Digital World” under the supervision of Joe Heath. She now looks forward to beginning a postdoctoral fellowship at Stanford. We look forward to your … Read More

David Dyzenhaus, an older white man with glasses, smiling dressed in the honorary regalia of the University of the Witwatersrand.

Honorary Doctorate from Witwatersrand for David Dyzenhaus

Published: April 4, 2025

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David Dyzenhaus, a University Professor in the Department of Philosophy and in the Faculty of Law, has received an honorary doctorate from the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, his alma mater. Wits awards honorary doctorates recognizing individuals who have made lasting contributions to their respective fields, advancing knowledge, research and … Read More

On a U of T blue background, a headshot of a smiling Alice Huang, an East Asian woman with long, black hair, in front og a bookshelf Her name is included on the background, in orange.

Alice C. W. Huang Awarded John Leyerle-CIFAR Prize for Interdisciplinary Research

Published: March 28, 2025

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Alice Chao-Wei Huang, who earned her PhD from the department in 2024 and is now a postdoctoral fellow in Harvard’s Embedded Ethics Program, received the John Leyerle-CIFAR Prize for Interdisciplinary Research. The selection committee, composed of graduate appointed professors at the University of Toronto, awarded her the prize for her … Read More

On a U of T blue background, head shots of Kristen Beard (l), a young person with long, strawberry blonde hair and glasses, and Brendan de Kenessey, a white man with short dark hair and beard.

Kristen Beard & Brendan de Kenessey Awarded 2025 Marc Sanders Foundation Media Fellowships

Published: March 26, 2025

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Kristen Beard, a PhD candidate in the Department of Philosophy, and Brendan de Kenessey, an assistant professor, have been awarded 2025 Marc Sanders Foundation Media Fellowships. The Foundation’s Philosophy in Media Initiative aims to increase the presence of philosophy in print, audio, and video media by training philosophers to write … Read More