Department of Philosophy and Religion Garners Faculty Achievement Award

When Mildred M. Dahne graduated from the College in 1932, she likely had no idea the impact that she would have on future generations at the institution. In 2004, TCNJ’s Foundation received her bequest, which earmarked $217,000 endowed to annually recognize faculty excellence. Starting in spring 2005, an annual award of $8,000 shall be given for department or program excellence.

The Mildred Dahne Award Committee named the Department of Philosophy and Religion as its inaugural award recipient this year. Unanimously selected by the committee, the Department of Philosophy and Religion was chosen for its exemplary contributions to campus academic life.

The department, consisting of six full-time faculty members, has been successful in teaching 10 percent of the First Seminars in the program's pilot year, creating the classics program, a law and philosophy concentration, a classical studies minor, sponsoring of campuswide lectures and symposia, and exemplifying scholarly excellence demonstrated by the department’s productivity since 1995. The department has boasted nine single-authored books, two edited or co-edited anthologies, 49 full-length, single-authored journal articles, 20 full-length single-author book chapters, 59 juried conference presentations, 74 invited presentations and 23 book reviews.

Full-time faculty in the department include Richard Kamber, Pierre LeMorvan, Consuelo Preti, Melinda Roberts, John Sisko, and Morton Winston. Recently retired Emeriti professors Allan Gotthelf and Roy Clouser were also recognized.

The Department of Philosophy and Religion intends to use some of the funds to amplify its department’s leadership in interdisciplinary cooperation by sponsoring course development, speakers, conferences, and projects that emphasize interdisciplinary studies with special, but not exclusive, emphasis placed on applied ethics.