The Gould Center’s Humanities Labs have been awarded The Prize for Excellence and Innovation in Philosophy Programs from the American Philosophical Association and Philosophy Documentation Center.
The national honor recognizes the creation of programs that “risk undertaking new initiatives in philosophy, and do so with excellence and success … so they may inspire and influence others to follow their lead.”
“Based on student testimonials, we at the Gould Center have long been confident that we’ve hit upon a winning formula with our signature initiatives like the Humanities Labs. But it’s really incredibly gratifying and rewarding to get this external validation and recognition of our success,” said Amy Kind, Director of the Gould Center and Russell K. Pitzer Professor of Philosophy.
The award selection committee specifically cited the Humanities Labs for fostering a “ground-breaking approach to philosophical scholarship and pedagogy by building on the team-based model familiar from scientific research.”
Additionally, “with great success, faculty mentors have used this model to create collaborative environments in which students are encouraged to explore their ideas through project-based problem-solving and to express them in formats that go beyond traditional academic genres. The program’s commitment to developing a novel way to create, teach, and disseminate philosophy—a way that can be reproduced in other departments—exemplifies the values of the APA/PDC Prize.”
The Humanities Labs program was created in 2019 to offer students a funded opportunity for hands-on experience in humanities research—both as part of a team and in close mentorship with a faculty member. Two labs run each year, typically involving 10-12 students each. Recent programs have included research presentations and community events for public dialogue on bias and artificial intelligence, social expectations and self-identity, race and Islam, and the role of narrative in resistance to justice. Findings can be presented in both traditional and creative formats, including academic papers, short stories, films, websites, and podcasts.
Kind noted that recent participant Sarah Chen ’22 credited the “creative freedom and interdisciplinary combination” of the Humanities Labs as a major part of her success in winning a Rhodes Scholarship, which has since shaped her Master’s thesis and career path.
As part of the APA/PDC prize, CMC will also be provided with campus-wide electronic access to a bundle of philosophy resources and publications for the year.