Scholarships and Awards

The Department is proud of our students who have worked for and been awarded Philosophy Scholarships over the years.  Currently there are two Philosophy scholarships awarded at the annual College of Arts and Sciences Honors Banquet.

The James S. Churchill Philosophy Scholarship

The essay contest is named after James Spencer Churchill (1920–1989), the first chair of the IPFW Department of Philosophy, and is awarded every year in his honor.  Churchill was born in Brockton, MA, and grew up in Portland, ME.  He earned an MA from Harvard U in 1950, his PhD from Indiana University Bloomington in 1959, and studied with Martin Heidegger in Freiburg, Germany.  He was appointed to IPFW in 1961, built the Department and developed its program in Philosophy, and served, until 1973, as the first chair of Philosophy.  His area of research was recent European Philosophy, in particular Existentialism and Phenomenology.  His dedication to the pursuit of truth and to teaching extended far beyond his study or the classroom. 

Students who meet the following criteria are eligible and encouraged to submit an essay for consideration of this award. 

• a declared Philosophy major (either as first or second major) with at least 9 hours of completed coursework in philosophy;
• will be registered for at least 12 credit hours each semester during the tenure of the award
• recipients of the Jean and Bill Bruening Scholarship are ineligible for the Churchill Essay Contest during the same academic year.

The essay contest recipient is chosen by the Philosophy faculty.  In the event of a tie, participation in Philosophy department activities may also be factored into the decision.  You may seek advice from the Philosophy faculty as you write your essay.

Application instructions for 2013-2014

Scholarships have been awarded to:

The Jean and Bill Bruening Philosophy Scholarship

The Jean and Bill Bruening Scholarship was established in September of 2007 to benefit full time students pursuing a major in Philosophy at IPFW.  This scholarship was made possible by a generous donation of IPFW Professor Bill Bruening and his wife Jean, a retired High School educator who taught in the Fort Wayne school system.  Bill Bruening obtained his PhD from the University of Notre Dame and both have received graduate degrees from the IPFW School of Education at IPFW.  They have provided the Fort Wayne community with over 70 years of combined service, both on- and off-campus.  The scholarship is awarded in their honor.

Students who meet the following criteria are eligible and encouraged to submit a letter of interest as their application for this award:

• are a declared Philosophy major (either as first or second major) with at least 60 credit hours that count toward graduation and 12 credit hours of completed coursework in philosophy, and
• have a cumulative GPA of at least 3.5;
• recipients of the James S. Churchill Essay Contest are ineligible for the Bruening Scholarship during the same academic year.

The scholarship recipient is chosen by the Philosophy faculty based on applications from qualified students who have submitted a letter of interest.  Final selection will be based on cumulative GPA and participation in Philosophy department activities.

Application instructions for 2013-2014

Scholarships have been awarded to:

The Angelique M. Green Philosophy Senior Excellence Award

This special award was presented one time:
              2000
         Philip Johnson II