Fall 2025 Newsletter
For Alumni & Friends of the Department of Philosophy
Letter from the Chair
Greetings, friends of Wisconsin philosophy!
It is hard to believe more than a year has passed since the last time I have written you as department chair. Our department is growing more than ever, and I am delighted to share a few of the many exciting things happening with UW Philosophy.
This year has been one of the busiest faculty hiring seasons in memory, and we are thrilled to welcome several new colleagues. Last fall, Alex Meehan joined us and quickly made an impact by designing the popular new course, “Philosophy of Quantum Mechanics”. This fall, we are delighted to welcome Elizabeth Brake, whose work focuses on ethics, political philosophy, and feminist philosophy, as well as Sam Roberts, whose expertise lies in logic, metaphysics, and the philosophy of mathematics. Looking ahead to spring, we are excited to be joined by Sophie Dandelet, specializing in epistemology and ethics, and Alex Kerr, whose research centers on philosophy of mind and cognitive science. We are eager to integrate our new faculty fully into the life of the department and to introduce them to our students, whose learning and engagement will undoubtedly be enriched by their presence.
UW-Madison's annual Fill the Hill fundraising event is taking place NOW!
Every year we introduce thousands of students in the arts, sciences, business, and humanities to philosophy. If you are reading this newsletter you most likely benefited from the courses we have taught throughout the decades. A donation to the Department of Philosophy will mean the world to our undergraduate and graduate students.
Every donation will add to the pink flamingo flock appearing on Bascom Hill, BUT if you donate $350 or more you'll also be sent a commemorative plastic lawn flamingo of your own!
The UW Foundation is an independent, tax-exempt corporation that raises, invests, and distributes funds for the benefit of UW–Madison. Contributions to the Foundation qualify for tax deduction to the extent allowed by law. The Foundation is registered for charitable solicitation in all states in which registration is required. Any required solicitation disclosures can be found at supportuw.org/disclosures
Stay in Touch Alumni!
Are you an alumni of the Philosophy Department? We’d love to hear about your successes and how things are going for you post-graduation. Let us know about your accomplishments and update your contact information by completing the form below.
Professor Russ Shafer-Landau
Awarded a WARF Professorship
by Steve Nadler
Last spring, Professor Russ Shafer-Landau was awarded one of the university’s prestigious WARF (Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation) Professorships. These are among the highest honors for UW-Madison faculty, and are awarded to advanced career faculty on the basis of significant research achievement. Russ’s area of specialization is metaethics—the area of moral philosophy that investigates the source of morality, its rational authority, and our ability to know right from wrong.His first book, Moral Realism (Oxford University Press, 2003), resuscitated the traditional idea that the fundamental principles of morality are robustly objective.
He has since written or co-authored five other books on moral philosophy. He also the founder of the journal Oxford Studies in Metaethics and is organizer of the annual Madison Metaethics Workshop, which brings more than 100 philosophers from around the world to the University of Wisconsin campus each fall.
Read the full article HERE
What it is like to be a philosopher. Interview with Russ Shafer Landau HERE
Meet Alex Meehan
by Steve Nadler
Alex, tell us something about yourself: where you grew up, went to college, grad school, family, etc.
I grew up near Houston, Texas, but I'm originally from the UK. I was born in England and my parents are Scottish; I quickly lost my English accent when I moved to Texas. A fun fact - there is an unusual abundance of philosophers from the part of Texas I grew up in. Jimmy and I grew up in the same exact neighborhood. And David Builes (Assistant Prof at Princeton) and I went the same middle school. There's something in the water in Sugar Land, Texas!
Read the full article HERE
Meet Elizabeth Brake
by James Messina
1.Where are you from? And where have you lived before coming to Madison?
I grew up in Virginia, outside Washington, DC. I've lived in many places - England, Scotland, Japan, Canada, and, in the US, in Tempe, Arizona, Houston, Texas, and New Orleans, Louisiana!
2.What was your path to philosophy like?
Somewhat accidental! My first degree was in Classics and English Literature. After that, I was teaching English in Japan and picked one of the few books in English off the shelves of the local library - it happened to be a book about philosophy!
Read the full article HERE
Meet Sam Roberts
by James Messina
1.Where are you from? And where have you lived before coming to Madison?
I’m originally from the UK, from a town called Swindon—which is primarily, but very mildly, famous for having a roundabout made up of lots of smaller roundabouts. I’ve also lived in Oslo, Norway, and Konstanz, Germany, before I came to Madison.
2. What was your path to philosophy like?
It was a mix of disposition, luck, and happy accidents. I had no idea what philosophy was when I applied to college—in the UK, college is where you go between the ages of 16 and 18 if you’re intending to go to university...
Read the full article HERE
Vilas Early Career Investigator Award Winner
Assistant Professor Aja Watkins
We are thrilled to announce that Aja Watkins has won the Vilas Early Career Investigator Award.
This award recognizes research and teaching excellence in faculty who are within the first ten years of their career.
Philosophy Professor Scrutinizes Scientific Theory to Improve Best Practices
Assistant Professor Aja Watkins examines the sciences through a philosophical lens.
Aja Watkins once believed she was "allergic" to the sciences. Today, as an assistant professor of philosophy, she embraces the subject - spending her days researching the ways in which scientists think.
Read the full article HERE by Sophia Vento
Oxford Scholarship Winner
Recent University of Wisconsin–Madison graduate Felicity Klingele has been awarded a Barry Scholarship, a relatively new, highly selective academic prize awarded in recognition of a student’s dedication to the academic vocation and the pursuit of truth.
The scholarship provides full funding for a minimum of two years of graduate study at the University of Oxford. It is a prize that cannot be applied for — it is awarded by academics themselves through a dedicated network of nominators at leading academic institutions in Britain and the United States.
Read the full article HERE
by Doug Erickson
Letter from the Dean of UW-Madison College of Letters & Sciences
As the leaves change colors and students return to classes, I’m reminded of what a vibrant community this College is. Every day, I have the opportunity to see the tremendous talent of our students, faculty, alumni and staff. They challenge themselves to do their best, tackle tough questions and do work that will have an impact on this state and the world.
Read full letter HERE
Philosophy Department Photos
University of Wisconsin Philosophy Department Faculty - 2025
Front row (left to right):James Messina, Paul Kelleher, Steve Nadler, Alex Meehan, Annina Loets, Elizabeth Brake, Jesse Steinberg, Alex Roberts
Backrow (left to right): Emily Fletcher (Dept. Chair), Rob Streiffer, Hank Southgate, Harry Brighouse, Russ Shafer-Landau, Sam Roberts, Aja Watkins, Paula Gottlieb, Martha Gibson, Farid Masrour, Bruno Whittle, John Mackay, Wendy Crabb (Dept Admin), Peter Vranas, Mike Titelbaum
Bayesian Boot Camp
Professor Steve Nadler
Professor Paula Gottlieb, Abrial Chitrakar Phnuyal, Varsha Pai, Anton Dolmatov
May 2025 Banquet
Above photos by Rob Streiffer
