Department of Philosophy announces scholarship winners
Morgantown, WV, November 28, 2006: The Department of Philosophy in the Eberly College of Arts and Sciences at West Virginia University recently announced the 2006-2007 recipients of the Daniel B. Purinton and McKay-Coast Scholarships.
Recipients of the Purinton Scholarship are Allison Lastinger and David Pellegrin. Ivan Stiefel and Justin Snedegar are the winners of the McKay-Coast Scholarship. Purinton Scholarships are awarded only to philosophy majors, while McKay-Coast Scholarships are available to students majoring in Philosophy, English, Mathematics, or History. Both are generous awards based exclusively on merit.
Allison Lastinger, a senior majoring in biology and philosophy, took Dr. Mark Wicclair’s course on Health Care Ethics during her junior year and was sure that philosophy was right for her. She was so moved by the class that she plans to pursue both an M.D. and a Master’s in Bioethics. She currently interns with the Center for Health Ethics and Law at Ruby Memorial Hospital where she works with the center’s director, Dr. Alvin Moss.
“I absolutely love the Philosophy department because the professors make me feel at home, challenge me to think in new ways, and truly care about my education and my future. I strongly believe that all students can benefit from any of the great classes the department offers,” said Lastinger.
Lastinger is the president of the WVU Philosophy Club, a member of the Ethics Bowl team, and is from Morgantown.
David Pellegrin, a double major in Philosophy and History, took his first philosophy class with Dr. Daniel Shapiro in the spring of 2004, and loved it. He has always been a deep thinker, but that he did not know if he would perform well at “academic” philosophy. As it turned out, he excelled.
“Every single one of my philosophy classes has been an awesome experience. It has been nice to take a couple of classes from a few different professors and hear philosophical problems discussed from different perspectives,” comments Pellegrin.
After graduating this December, Pellegrin plans to go to law school, and feels that philosophy has helped him to become more than adequately prepared for such studies. He is originally from Houma, Louisiana.
Matt “Ivan” Stiefel is a junior double majoring in philosophy and English and minoring in history, political theory and geology. His life is busy at WVU as he juggles his eclectic studies and with roles as President of the WVU Sierra Student Coalition and Grassroots Outreach Coordinator for Oceana’s Mercury Campaign.
“My main interests in philosophy are environmental philosophy and environmental ethics and how they are related to social and political philosophy and the good life. I have always been drawn to ethical issues and have a strong desire to fight injustice in the world. Yet, without a philosophical foundation for right and wrong, a life fighting for justice might seem meaningless. Thus, I began my study of ethical theory, specifically environmental ethics,” said Stiefel.
After graduation, Stiefel plans to pursue a joint Justice Degree in environmental law and PhD in philosophy and plans to continue his life as an environmental activist. He is originally from Mullica Hill, NJ.
Justin Snedegar originally came to WVU as a mathematics major and only planned to minor in philosophy, but after taking the introductory philosophy course and Current Moral Problems, he added Philosophy as a second major.
After graduation, Justin had planned to pursue a Ph.D. in mathematics, but his interest in philosophy quickly surpassed his interest in math, and now he plans to pursue a Ph.D. in philosophy.
“I feel that the friendliness, dedication, and enthusiasm of the WVU Philosophy Dept. as a whole contributed to this decision,” said Snedegar.
Snedegar’s interests lie in metaphysics, especially the philosophy of time and ethics. He also enjoys studying continental philosophy and existentialism. Besides doing philosophy, Snedegar also likes to play basketball and guitar, and is from Lewisburg, WV.
For more information about the Department of Philosophy or the scholarship recipients, call 304-293-3641 or visit the Philosophy department’s website at http://www.wvu.edu/~philosophy/index.html.
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