Summer Research Experiences in Philosophy

Every year, hundreds of Furman students across a wide range of departments collaborate with faculty on research projects during the summer months.

The Furman Advantage provides the means for funding through Summer Fellowships, which provide students with a small grant to finance their living expenses while working on a research project. Students may also serve as teaching assistants, a stepping stone to working on projects, or they can pursue senior honors thesis research. Come spring, students with Fellowships will present at the Furman Engaged! Day.

This summer, Dr. Sarah Worth collaborated with Virginia Wayt and Tanea Miller on a project examining contemporary issues in aesthetics literature reviews. At the conclusion of their research, the two students wrote a paper on the topic of cancel culture.

Additionally, student John Bayne and Dr. Mark Stone studied Nelson Goodman’s world-making metaphysics and its connections both historically and conceptually to the American pragmatist tradition.

Katy Tanis served as Dr. Epright’s intern, creating a digital archive for a range of pandemic ethics committees within the state of South Carolina. She also provided assistance with a research project revolving around involuntary psychiatric treatment for criminal defendants deemed incompetent to stand trial.

In the prior year, Dr. Anderson and student Jonathan McKinney worked on a project called called, “Sex: Conversation and Agency.”

Students can pursue Furman advantage summer research projects with members of the department, serve as Furman advantage teaching assistants for faculty, become involved in independent studies, and or complete senior honors thesis research.

For students interested in exploring a research project, they should reach out to faculty members to get a sense of the opportunities offered that year.