Chris Lamb ’18 Awarded Philosophy Essay Prize

In October, recent graduate Chris Lamb gave a paper based on his Plan of Concentration at the annual meeting of the International Association of Environmental Philosophy, at State College, Pennsylvania. As if that wasn’t enough of an honor, he was also awarded the best graduate student essay prize for his work, done as an undergraduate.

“It was a pleasant surprise,” said Chris, who is in the process of applying to PhD programs. “It was a validation of the work I have put in at Marlboro, the guidance I received there, and the overall preparation for continued work in academia. It was encouraging, considering my desire to continue on to graduate school.”

Chris completed his Plan last May in environmental studies, philosophy, and literature, with a focus on “Being, place, and resistance: Phenomenological and critical approaches.” Chris’s paper, titled “Thinking Critically about the Place of Being: Doreen Massey, Martin Heidegger, and a Theory of Dynamic Dwelling,” was a condensed version of one of his Plan papers, which he reduced from 16,000 words down to 3,000.

“Many of the graduate students considered for the prize—I believe 16 submitted papers—were in the dissertation stage of their graduate work,” said philosophy and environmental studies professor William Edelglass, one of Chris’s Plan sponsors. “To the best of my knowledge, this is the largest annual conference of environmental philosophers, and it was quite an honor to win, especially at Chris’s stage in his career.”

Chris is applying to graduate programs that will allow him to continue on a similar trajectory as his Plan, mostly interdisciplinary programs in environmental studies, philosophy, and geography. “I hope to work at this intersection, continuing philosophical inquiry into space and place with a focus on the entwinement of settler colonialism and environmental issues,” said Chris.