Alumni

Welcome, Alumni and Friends of the Department of Philosophy!

Your connection to the Department of Philosophy remains long after you graduate.  There are many ways you can maintain your connection including:

Recent Alumni News

Last month, on August 21st, 2025, Philosophy Graduate Student Sofia Huerter successfully defended their dissertation titled: "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings: Domestication, Disability, and Moral Repair". They were overseen by a committee consisting of Jamie Mayerfeld, Department Chair of Law, Societies, & Justice.
Earlier this month on August 15th, 2025, Philosophy Graduate Student Kyle O'Dwyer successfully defended his dissertation titled: "Deflationary Challenges and Essentialism".
We made it to the summer! I hope that you are able to enjoy a somewhat slower pace in the coming months, with time to reflect and revel in the lengthy days of summer.
Congratulations to all our 2025 graduates!
The University of Washington Department of Philosophy greatly benefited from the wisdom, service, and generous contributions of Dan Gerler, a longstanding Advisory Board member and general champion of philosophy.
Last year the department saw four graduate students complete their PhDs and move on to prestigious postdoctoral positions!
Congratulations to all our 2023 graduates! Our alumni speaker was Noah Purcell, Washington State Solicitor General and 2002 UW Philosophy grad, and our undergraduate speaker was Wendi Zhou. Photo credit: Merriam Al-Maiahi
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