Top Seniors Win Awards

The NC State Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies celebrated the academic achievements of its top seniors at its spring graduation ceremony on May 3. Three awards were presented by faculty members who had worked closely with the award winners.

The Religious Studies Prize in Honor of Professor W. Curtis Fitzgerald

The Religious Studies Prize in Honor of Professor W. Curtis Fitzgerald goes to the outstanding senior majoring in religious studies. This year’s winner was Cadence Dawn Campbell, who received the award from Jason Staples, assistant teaching professor of religious studies. At the same ceremony Cadence graduated summa cum laude with a B.A. in Religious Studies and a B.A. in English.

The Philosophy Prize in Honor of Professor Robert S. Bryan

The Philosophy Prize in Honor of Professor Robert S. Bryan goes to the outstanding senior in our other major programs in philosophy. The winner was Andrew Paul, who received the award from Marina Bykova, professor of philosophy. Andrew will graduate in December 2024 with a B.S. in Philosophy, a B.S. in Plant Biology, and a minor in Computer Programming.

The Logic and Cognitive Science Initiative (LACSI) Award

The winner of the Logic and Cognitive Science Initiative Award, otherwise known as the LACSI Award, goes to the outstanding senior in the B.S. in Philosophy with a Concentration in Logic, Representation, and Reasoning, the signature academic program in the Department’s Logic and Cognitive Science Initiative. This year’s winner, the first in five years, was Cutter J. Bell, who received the award from Xinhe Wu, assistant professor of philosophy. At the same ceremony Cutter graduated summa cum laude with a B.S. in Philosophy with a concentration in Logic, Representation, and Reasoning, a B.S. in Computer Science, and a minor in Cognitive Science.