On Friday, June 24th, Carleton will celebrate our Spring 2022 graduates! For the first time in two years, celebrations are taking place in person and our graduates will get the chance to walk across the stage to accept their diplomas. We would like to take the opportunity to celebrate all of our outstanding Philosophy graduates of 2022. We’ve asked MA graduate, Ian MacLean-Evans, to reflect on his time at Carleton and the memories of his time in the Department of Philosophy.
Ian MacLean-Evans, M.A. Philosophy Graduate (Class of 2022)
If you could choose one word to sum up your time in the Philosophy MA program, what is it and why?
Enriching. The MA program in the philosophy department really teaches us not only about philosophy as a field, but also, if you ask about it, philosophy as a profession. It enriches both an understanding of the profession, and more importantly, philosophy as a pursuit of knowledge or wisdom.
What is your favorite Carleton memory?
Because of the pandemic, I did not get the see my peers or professors in person for the entirety of the first year of the MA program. My favourite memory was seeing everyone in person for the first time at our first social event, and being so happy to talk to everyone face to face!
What was your favourite course or who was your favourite professor?
Oh man, I had many fantastic professors, and I actually quite enjoyed all my courses! But, if I had to pick a specific course, I suppose I would choose the research seminar (led by Professor Christine Koggel), because it was there that I got to explore everyone in my cohort’s interests, and learn about all kinds of philosophy I otherwise would not have been exposed to. But, I should also give a special shoutout to Professor Melissa Frankel’s seminar about skepticism in early modern philosophy, since my own M.A. work was in early modern philosophy, and Professor Frankel is just such an excellent educator.
What was the most important lesson you learned during your time at Carleton?
Apply and submit to everything possible; you’ll get a lot of rejections, and they take an awful amount of time which you won’t always be able to dedicate to applications and submissions, but by maximizing applications/submissions when its possible you’re vastly increasing your odds of getting acceptances. This is especially pertinent in academia, but I suspect is also true in other walks of life.
What’s next for you?
I’ll be starting a PhD in philosophy at York University in Toronto! I am excited to be starting the program there, alongside a couple other people in my cohort. We will bring a slice of Carleton to York together.
Is there anything else you would like to share with the Carleton Philosophy community?
Thanks to everyone in the Carleton philosophy community for making my M.A. degree such a great experience, including our great student society, the Carleton University Philosophy Society! I just want to give even more special thanks to the following people: My awesome thesis co-supervisors Dr. Christine Koggel and Dr. Melissa Frankel, the department chair and my TA and RA supervisor Dr. Annie Larivée, and the department’s two awesome administrators Lauren Wells-McGregor and Rima Sanaallah! You’ve all made Carleton such a great place for me to have done my studies!