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Alumni Achievements

Additional Alumni Achievements


Featured Alum
Matt Lockard, '00
Majors: Philosophy and Math

Current Position: Assistant professor of philosophy at Southern Methodist University, in Dallas. Earned a doctorate in philosophy at UCLA in 2008 and a master's degree in philosophy in 2004.

Awards and Honors: As a Whitworth senior, received an Andrew W. Mellon Fellowship in Humanistic Studies and a Pew Younger Scholars Program Graduate Fellowship in the Humanities; these highly competitive fellowships provided more than $40,000 for Lockard's graduate studies. As a graduate student in philosophy at UCLA, received the Robert M. Yost Prize for Excellence in Teaching, 2003-04; the Rudolf and Ina Carnap Essay Prize, 2004-05; and a Distinguished Teaching Assistant Award, 2007

Whitworth Activities: Laureate Society honors program, residence assistant for Akili in The Village.

Why Whitworth? I was looking for an open, intellectually stimulating Christian college. My older sister and some of my cousins attended Whitworth, so I was able to check it out in depth before applying. I knew Whitworth to be a place where students are encouraged and supported in their spiritual and intellectual journeys. And, importantly, Whitworth doesn't shoehorn its students into a single, preconceived "Christian" mode of living. The fact that non-Christian students are welcomed at Whitworth was a big selling point for me. Whitworth is an authentic, ecumenical Christian institution that not only tolerates but thrives on healthy intellectual and spiritual diversity. For me, that was a winning combination.

Quote: "The learning environment at Whitworth was first-rate. The faculty's commitment to excellence in teaching was constant. Small class sizes, a non-competitive yet intellectually stimulating environment, and faculty who are supportive, welcoming and always available to discuss ideas over a cup of coffee made Whitworth a great place to learn.”

Influential Whitworth Experiences: My sophomore year, I participated in a study program sponsored by the Pew Foundation that gave me my first taste of doing independent research outside of a formal classroom setting. But Whitworth's theology and philosophy faculty were an even bigger influence. Jerry Sittser (Theology), in particular, was a close mentor to me. We met in his office once a week just to talk and pray. Other faculty from the department also spent a lot of time talking with me during their office hours and even at their homes. Their example motivates me to be available and approachable for my own students at UCLA.

Career Goals: To teach university-level philosophy, and do research and publish



Here's what some Whitworth graduates are doing with their philosophy degrees:

• Amy Whisenand, '09, recieved a Fulbright Scholarship to Germany.

• Amy Bernard, '08, is in graduate school in philosophy at University of Melbourne, Australia.

• Kelley Vincent. '09, has been accepted to the Ph.D. program of Philosophy at University of Colorado.
  
  

• Lars Katz Garde, '06, is a Seattle-based indie-emo musician who released his first album, The Veil, in 2009.

• Logan Gage, '04, is a policy analyst for the Discovery Institute, in Washington, D.C.

• Chris Atwood, '03, (philosophy and theology double-major) earned an M.Div. from Princeton Theological Seminary and has completed a year of New Testament study in systematic theology at the University of Tübingen, in Germany. He was recently accepted to Wheaton College's Ph.D. program in New Testament.

• Shane Gronholz, '05, is in a graduate program in philosophy at the University of Colorado, Boulder.

• Hilary Martin, '01, is a lawyer for Sonosky, Chambers, Sachse, Miller & Munson after completing her law degree at Arizona State University with certificates in Indian law and environmental law and clerking for Alaska Supreme Court Chief Justice Dana Fabe.

• Andrew Bower, '05, is earning a master's degree in child development at the University of California, Davis.

• Heather Thomsen, '06, is enrolled at Fuller Theological Seminary, in Pasadena, Calif.

• Whitney (Baird) Edwards, '01, earned a master's degree in philosophy from the University of Oklahoma and is a children's librarian.