Department of Philosophy Spring 2026 Newsletter

Graduation

On June 10, 2026, our department proudly celebrated the graduation of an outstanding cohort of BA and MA Philosophy students at Spring Convocation. Throughout their studies, these graduates demonstrated thoughtfulness, collaboration, leadership, and a deep commitment to intellectual inquiry. As they move forward into new academic, professional, and personal pursuits, we are confident they will continue to bring insight, integrity, and compassion to the communities they serve. We extend our warmest congratulations to all of our graduates and wish them continued success in the years ahead.

Thesis Defences

Two thesis defences took place in early January, determining our Winter 2026 graduates.

Congratulations to Laura Polakova, who successfully defended her MA in Philosophy. Polakova’s thesis was titled, ‘From Silence to Sound: A Millian Defence of Free Speech’.

We are also excited to share that Shawn Abela has successfully defended his PhD in Ethics and Public Affairs. Supervised by Professor Christine Koggel, Abela’s dissertation was titled, ‘Sexualized Violence in the Canadian Armed Forces’.

Theo Dunn successfully defended his MA Philosophy thesis, "A Feminist Relational Approach to Understanding the Ethics of AI Girlfriends."

His paper, "Resisting the Temptation of AI Necromancy: Encouraging a Relational Approach to AI Implementation Across Grief Practices," has been accepted into Gnosis: Concordia University's Graduate Journal of Philosophy for publication in their 2026 issue.

Student & Alumni Spotlight: Awards, Research, Publications and Conferences

Jack Ragan

Funded by the Office of the Provost and Vice-President (Academic) and administered by Teaching and Learning Services, the Provost Scholar Award recognizes outstanding undergraduate achievement. Jack Ragan, a fourth-year Philosophy Honours student, received the award for his exceptional academic record and intellectual excellence. Alongside maintaining near-perfect grades, Jack contributes to the Carleton University community as a FASS Ambassador, undergraduate TA, Student as Partners participant, and member of the Carleton Ravens Men's Curling Team.

Ian MacLean-Evans

Congratulations to MA Philosophy alumnus, Ian MacLean Evans, for being awarded the British Society for the History of Philosophy’s 2025 Graduate Essay Prize!

Ian is currently a doctoral candidate at York University and won the BSHP prize due to his essay, 'Neither Male nor Female: Anti-Essentialism in Poulain de la Barre'.

Fabian Izaquita

During Winter 2026, the department welcomed Fabian Mauricio Izaquita, recipient of the Emerging Leaders in the Americas Program scholarship funded by Global Affairs Canada. Under the supervision of Christine Koggel, Fabian conducted the project Transgender Experience: Grasping One’s Identity with Others from January to May 2026. His research has explored how transgender identity is shaped through relationships with others, contributing to interdisciplinary discussions on inclusion, ethics, recognition, and human dignity.

Klaus Kytayko

Congratulations to Klaus Kytayko on presenting at the 22nd Annual Student Research Conference for the Center for the Studies of Gender and Sexualities (CSGS), hosted by California State University, Los Angeles (CSULA)! Klaus presented their paper, Full Emasculation Now!: Transfeminism and Transmasculine Femininities, as part of the panel “Trans Studies: Philosophical and Developmental Analysis.” Their work offered a thoughtful and critical exploration of transmasculinity, femininity, and resistance to patriarchal social structures within contemporary trans philosophy.
The conference featured leading scholars such as Talia Mae Bettcher, and Klaus was also one of only two international presenters in attendance — an incredible achievement. Congratulations on this outstanding contribution to trans studies and philosophical research!

Jeremy Garbe

Congratulations to Jeremy Garbe on presenting his paper, “Since Time Was, I Am, For Ever”: Temporality and the Scope of Human Freedom in Beauvoir’s Philosophy and Literature, at the 2026 Stanford/Johns Hopkins Phil + Lit Graduate Student Conference at Stanford University.
Jeremy presented on the panel Living in Retrospect, offering a compelling analysis of temporality, existential freedom, and moral action. His work examined how the phenomenological experience of time shapes human freedom, responsibility, and self-determination, while also highlighting the unique power of literature to illuminate existential philosophy.

2025–26 Outstanding TA Award

Congratulations to Dylan Ireland and Jack Ragan on being nominated for the 2025–26 Outstanding TA Award presented by Teaching and Learning Services! This award recognizes the exceptional contributions teaching assistants make to undergraduate and graduate education through their dedication to student success, creation of positive learning environments, and innovative teaching practices. We are proud to celebrate their commitment, excellence, and impact on student learning. Congratulations on this well-deserved recognition!

Faculty Spotlight: Awards and Publications

Annie Larivée

Professor Annie Larivée has been named a Fellow of the newly created International Society for Philosophy as a Way of Life, an honor recognizing sustained scholarly contributions and leadership within the international PWL community.
Recently, she contributed a chapter on “Philosophy as a Way of Life in Classical Philosophy” to the forthcoming Oxford Handbook of Philosophy as a Way of Life (OUP), and published a reflexive essay, “Platonicienne chez les bouddhistes. Contrastes entre deux traditions philosophiques du point de vue de la pratique,” (“A Platonist among the Buddhists: Contrasts between Two Philosophical Traditions from the Point of View of Practice”) included in a volume co-edited by colleagues Gordon Davis and Philippe-Antoine Hoyeck. The essay reflects on insights that emerged from her sense of estrangement while practicing Tibetan Buddhism during two summers in southern France, while she was a young scholar of Plato at university Paris I Pantéon-Sorbonne.

Christine Koggel

Congratulations to Christine Koggel on receiving a Mentor Award in recognition of her outstanding dedication to graduate student mentorship!

Graduate students from across disciplines submitted nomination letters celebrating the profound impact Christine has had on their academic journeys and personal growth. Her guidance, encouragement, and commitment to supporting students have made a lasting difference in the lives of many emerging scholars.

This well-deserved recognition reflects Christine’s exceptional leadership, generosity, and care as a mentor. Congratulations on this remarkable achievement!

Andrew Brook

Andrew Brook delivered invited talks at the University of the Fraser Valley, the University of Alberta, and McGill University on topics including environmental legislation, consciousness, and Kant’s philosophy. He also co-authored “Schopenhauer on the Mind” with Christopher Young for the forthcoming Cambridge Companion to Schopenhauer, edited by Colin Marshall and scheduled for publication in 2026.

Kyla Bruff

Professor and Undergraduate Supervisor, Kyla Bruff, has been active in research in classical German philosophy and Frankfurt school critical theory. Earlier this year, The Palgrave Schelling Handbook, which she co-edited and in which she wrote two pieces, was published. The fifth volume of the journal Kabiri, of which Bruff is the Editor-in-Chief, was published. Former MA student Jeremy Garbe also worked on the publication. This past March, she presented her paper "What is nature for Adorno?," at the Association for Adorno Studies Annual Meeting, Toronto Metropolitan University. Bruff also recently presented aspects of her ongoing work on Schelling, Adorno, and ecological responsibility in Prague, Hungary, and Mexico City.

Mohammed Rustom

We are very pleased to announce that Mohammed Rustom, Professor in the College of the Humanities and an internationally renowned scholar and author of over 15 books and 100 articles, has recently been cross-appointed to the Department of Philosophy, strengthening the department’s research and supervision capacity in global philosophy.

Professor Rustom has recently published a groundbreaking, first-of-its kind book entitled A Sourcebook in Global Philosophy, which features the major ideas, themes, and arguments of Africana, Buddhist, Confucian, Hindu, Islamic, Jain, Jewish, Latin American, Mesoamerican, Native American, and Taoist philosophy through translations of nearly 100 philosophical texts from 17 different languages. Topics covered in this volume include metaphysics, cosmology, epistemology, philosophy language, logic, ethics, storytelling, philosophy of religion, selfhood, death, and freedom.

Dave Matheson

Professor Matheson has served as the guest editor for the Journal of Philosophy of Life’s latest open access volume, Philosophy and Meaning in Life, Volume 7: Selected Papers from the Carleton Conference. This volume presents a number of peer-reviewed essays based on presentations at the 7th International Conference on Philosophy and Meaning in Life, which Professor Matheson organized at Carleton last summer. Among the included essays is one by Professor Matheson himself, in which he argues that lives can be meaningful not just by realizing much meaning, but also by being dedicated to other lives that do so. You can download the volume here.

Myrto Mylopoulos

Professor Mylopoulos published a new paper in the journal of Philosophical Studies.

Mylopoulos, M., Pacherie, E. & Shepherd, J. Motoric representational format. Philosophical Studies 183, 455–479 (2026). https://doi-org.proxy.library.carleton.ca/10.1007/s11098-025-02453-2

Proff. Mylopoulos also organized another successful term of the Colloquium Series course! Thank you for your hard work Myrto!

Jay Drydyk

Professor Jay Drydyk presented "The ‘Epistemic World’ of Development Ethics" in the HDCA Webinar, Bridging Epistemic Worlds: Linking Capabilities and Transitions Research for Just and Sustainable Futures in March 2026. This event was sponsored by European Cooperation in Science and Technology (COST).

Phil Hoyeck

Check out Phil Hoyeck's most recent book review: Hoyeck, Philippe-Antoine (2026). Tyler Dalton McNabb and Erik Baldwin, Eastern Philosophy and Classical Theism (Review). International Journal for Philosophy of Religion, Vol. 9, No. 15.

MA Research Day

On Friday, January 30, the department proudly hosted its annual MA Research Day, an event dedicated to highlighting the work of our current Philosophy MA students. Department of Philosophy peers and faculty attended two engaging panels covering a wide range of philosophical topics:

Klaus Kytayko, “Beyond Cis and Trans: A Trans-critical Approach to Trans/Gender Liberation”

Theo Dunn, “Feminist Relational Arguments Against AI Girlfriends”

Valerie Chartrand, “Moral Prophets: Challenging Dominant Hermeneutical Resources for the Alleviation of Injustice”

Alex McSweeney, “Consciousness and Computation”

Trevor Lapointe, “Digitocentrism and the Cultural Thirst for Spiritual Praxis”

Dylan Ireland, “Logotherapy and Nihilism: A Discussion on Addressing the Mental Health Crisis”

A big round of applause to our graduate students who sparked thoughtful discussion and demonstrated fantastic critical engagement!

AI in the City Panel

This year, the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences hosted the most successful, well-attended Healthy Cities event. Our very own philosophy professors Myrto Mylopoulos and Josh Redstone were involved as co-organizer and moderator! This expert panel explored what it means to relate to AI socially: whether social connections with artificial systems can be genuine, what might be missing if they are not, and how these interactions may reshape human expectations of companionship, care, and trust. The discussion situated these questions within a broader examination of what today’s AI systems can and cannot do, and what the future trajectory of AI might look like.

Ontario High School Ethics Bowl

The Department of Philosophy was thrilled to host and judge the Regional Ethics Bowl back in February.

The winners, Canterbury High School, or the "Canterbury Catalysts," won this event and travelled with other winning teams across the province to the Provincial Ethics Bowl in March.

Canterbury High School also took home the Provincial Trophy!

Carleton’s Department of Philosophy faculty, Professors Melissa Frankel and Kyla Bruff, judged both competitions, alongside Carleton graduate students who acted as judges and moderators in the Regional competition. Thank you to the teams, judges, moderators and event coordinators who made this event possible.

Read about past Ethics Bowl involvement here.

Colloquium Series

Our Winter 2026 Colloquium Series brought together scholars, students, and community members for a semester of engaging philosophical discussion and interdisciplinary exchange. We were pleased to welcome an outstanding group of guest speakers whose presentations explored topics including dreaming and madness in Descartes, Kantian selves, accountability and transparency, creativity and artificial intelligence, and democratic representation.

The series featured talks by Melissa Frankel (Carleton University), Haley Brennan (New York University), T.Y. Branch (Leibniz University Hannover), Joshua Shepherd (Universität Autònoma de Barcelona), and Olivia Kamgain (Carleton University). Each speaker offered fresh perspectives that sparked lively discussion and thoughtful engagement among attendees.

CU Philosophy Society

The CUPS Winter events fostered a strong sense of community through a mix of social gatherings, discussion groups, and collaborative activities. From movie and board game nights to thoughtful conversations on AI, consciousness, and philosophy in popular culture, students engaged with ideas both inside and outside the classroom. These events built meaningful connections and created an inclusive, welcoming environment throughout the academic year.

Ottawa Community

Throughout the 2025–26 academic year, the Department strengthened its connections with local schools through outreach and recruitment initiatives led by Professor Kyla Bruff and Lauren Wells-McGregor. In March, approximately 100 students from Colonel By Secondary School visited campus for a day of activities that included lectures drawn from Bruff’s Happiness and the Good Life course, Dave Matheson’s The Meaning of Life, and a mock lecture on Robotics and A.I. presented by Josh Redstone. Students from Elmwood School also toured campus and attended Bruff’s class. In April, Bruff visited Wilfrid Laurier High School to deliver a guest lecture introducing students to philosophical inquiry at the university level.

Bruff also served as a panelist for Carleton University’s Open House discussion, “Ethically Sustainable Futures,” collaborated with Grade 9 geography students at Osgoode Township High School through FASS’s OCDSB Collaborative Project, and presented “Aristotle on Human Connection: The Philosophy of Friendship” at Rockcliffe Park Retirement Residence.

We were deeply saddened to learn of the passing of retired Professor Randal Marlin. He was an extraordinary teacher, scholar, mentor, and friend whose impact on generations of students and colleagues will long be remembered. Professor Marlin will be deeply missed by all who had the privilege to know him, learn from him, and work alongside him. We extend our heartfelt condolences to his family, friends, former students, and colleagues.

Leadership and Administrative Transitions

On July 1, after six years of service as Chair, Annie Larivée will pass the torch to Melissa Frankel. Annie is looking forward to returning to a more contemplative life this summer and to further exploring the PWL paradigm with students in her fall seminar. Reflecting on her experience, Annie said: “Ancient philosophers who argued that the life of theoria and the life of action are compatible have obviously never been department chairs!”

At the end of March, the Department said farewell to Lucia Brunner-Larson, who served as Graduate Administrator during Nikki Gilroy’s leave, and moved into a new role within Carleton’s new School of Nursing. Farewell, Lucia, and welcome back, Nikki!

Operation BBBG!

Message from the Chair: A major project of the now defunct Philosophy Communications Team, Operation BBBG (Baby Bum Be Gone), finally came to fruition a few weeks ago with the replacement of the infamous Creepy Cherub with a tasteful, simple owl. Given its ancient association with wisdom, it is a more fitting guardian of the department. Henceforth, and in keeping with the ancient injunction of Plato's Academy: let no baby bum greet those who enter.

Special thanks to Lauren for her work on the project and to Nikki for her assistance with BB's removal!