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Undergraduate Extracurricular Activities
Vice-President Philosophy Club 1992-1993
President Philosophy Club 1993-1995
Student Life Committee Student Representative 1993-1994
Charter President of Phi Sigma Tau (Philosophy Honor Society) 1994-1996
University Library Committee Student Representative 1994-1995
Student Government Constitutional Convention Delegate 1994-1996
Legislative Committee Chair (Constitutional Convention) 1995-1996
The Other Club (Inducted 1995, Steward 1995-1996)
Blackburn Institute Fellow (Inducted 1996)
Notes about activities:
When I entered the University of Alabama the Philosophy Club was defunct. As a freshman, I worked with another student to re-establish the club, and since she was older, we decided she should be President and I would be Vice-President. I later took over as President and the club is still active today. The club typically invites noted Philosophers to speak and lead a discussion.
There was no chapter of the National Honor Society in Philosophy, Phi Sigma Tau, when I entered the University of Alabama. I actively pursued the process of establishing a chapter on campus and was its Charter President. It still honors students who excel in Philosophy at Alabama today.
While I was at the University of Alabama, the Student Government Association (SGA) was disbanded by the administration. The prior SGA was plagued by problems of corruption and the Presidential campaign was even tainted by violence. A Constitutional Convention was held to discuss the formation of a new Student Government. I was a delegate to the convention and was elected Legislative Committee Chair by the delegates. The process took over a year and required coalition building, countless meetings, and lots of creative thinking.
Other than discovering the study of Philosophy, becoming a member of The Other Club was the best thing I did as an undergraduate. Winston Churchill formed the first Other Club as a dining and debate organization intended to represent a wide array of political views. The Other Club at the University of Alabama was the first chapter in the United States. (There are now four.) Gen. Jacob E. Smart, planning officer at the Casablanca Conference, was a member of the original Other Club and acted as a founding member of Alabama's chapter. Once a month, The Other Club meets to debate a pre-selected topic. A few members are asked to prepare remarks, but extemporaneous speeches are the norm. The Other Club was not just another Honor Society whose members I never knew. Rather, members of The Other Club remain some of my closest friends. Meeting once a month, eating together, and discussing our opinions on a wide range of topics truly allowed us to get to know one another. It brought me into contact with bright students and intriguing faculty guests that I otherwise would have never met. It is one of the few organizations that I am glad to be a member of for life.
The Blackburn Institute inducts Fellows that have demonstrated leadership. At an annual retreat and through regular special events, Fellows discuss issues facing the state of Alabama.
Undergraduate Honors and Awards
University Honors Program (1992-1996)
Alpha Lamda Delta (Freshman Honor Society, Inducted 1993)
Phi Eta Sigma (Freshman Honor Society, Inducted 1993)
Lamda Sigma (Sophomore Honor Society, Inducted 1994)
Gamma Beta Phi (Honor Society, Inducted 1994)
Golden Key National Honor Society (Inducted 1994)
Mortar Board (Inducted 1995)
Phi Kappa Phi (Inducted 1996)
Phi Beta Kappa (Inducted 1996)
Outstanding Senior Award (1996)
Maarten and Marie ten Hoor Prize in Philosophy (1995 and 1996)
Iredell Jenkins Endowed Memorial Scholarship in Philosophy (1996)
The Joey Strength Award (for Best Speech of the Year at The Other Club meetings, 1996)
Notes about Awards:
The Maarten and Marie ten Hoor Prize in Philosophy is given annually on the basis of a Philosophical Essay contest. With the exception of a former Philosophy student who went on to become a Professor of Philosophy at Alabama, I am the only student to ever win the Prize twice.
Graduate Extracurricular Activities
Teaching Assistant Consultant 1998-1999
Philosophy Graduate Representative 1998-1999
American Philosophical Association Pacific Division 1999 Session on Truth Equivalences
Commentator on Gary Ostertag's "The New Frege Puzzle".
Notes about Activities:
The Teaching Assistant Consultant (TAC) is selected by UC-Irvine's Instructional Resource Center (IRC) to provide discipline-specific training to new Teaching Assistants at the annual Teaching Assistant Professional Development Program (TAPDP). TAC's receive extensive teacher training from the IRC in advance of the workshops that they will lead at the TAPDP. In addition, as the TAC for Philosophy, I led a Graduate-level seminar on teaching for new Philosophy TAs, conducted consultations with TAs throughout the year, and led workshops on enhancing one's teaching with technology.
Graduate Awards
Humanities Graduate Essay Award (for Best Essay in Philosophy 1999)
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