Robert Thompson named 2015 MSU humanities teacher
Contact: Sasha Steinberg
STARKVILLE, Miss.鈥擜n associate professor of philosophy is Mississippi 大象APP鈥檚 2015 Humanities Teacher of the Year.
The selection of J. Robert Thompson is being announced by the university鈥檚 College of Arts and Sciences, along with the Mississippi Humanities Council. As part of the honor, Thompson will present the college鈥檚 annual humanities lecture.
Titled 鈥淭he Humanities and Human Nature,鈥 his address begins at 3 p.m. Monday [Nov. 30] in the Shackouls Honors College Forum Room. Thompson will explore a critical element of what makes people human鈥攖he ability to understand one another鈥檚 thoughts and actions.
聽The event is free to all, as is a reception immediately following in the same fourth-floor Bryce Griffis Residence Hall location in the university鈥檚 Zacharias Village.
Along with formally presenting a topic of his choosing to campus and local communities, Thompson is receiving a $300 honorarium.
A philosophy and religion department faculty member since 2008, Thompson specializes in the history of philosophy (ancient, early modern, 20th century analytic), epistemology, metaphysics, logic and applied ethics.
鈥淢SU has some of the strongest humanities departments in the region, and the faculty in the humanities are impressive across the board. I am grateful both for the existence of an award that shines light upon the excellent work being done in the humanities and for being selected for that award,鈥 Thompson said.
R. Gregory Dunaway, dean of MSU鈥檚 College of Arts and Sciences, said Thompson is 鈥渕ost deserving of this prestigious recognition.鈥
鈥淗e has been an extraordinary classroom teacher and academic adviser. He has done much to advance the humanities in general, as well as being a pivotal figure in revitalizing and enhancing our undergraduate program in philosophy,鈥 Dunaway said.
Thompson鈥檚 research focuses on the philosophy of mind and language and philosophy of cognitive science, including social cognition and linguistic competence.
Among others, he is the author of two published papers, 鈥淢eaning and Mindreading鈥 (Mind and Language, 2014) and 鈥淪ignature Limits in Mindreading Systems鈥 (Cognitive Science, 2014). Both papers were among the five percent of submissions accepted by their respective journals. 聽
Political science professor Rick Travis, who also serves as MSU鈥檚 associate dean for academic affairs and student services, lauded Thompson 鈥渇or his no nonsense, engaging, helpful style of teaching.鈥
In addition to teaching introductory, intermediate and advanced undergraduate courses, Thompson serves as the undergraduate program coordinator for philosophy. A member of the university鈥檚 Robert Holland Faculty Senate, he also chairs his department鈥檚 promotion and tenure committee and serves on its curriculum committee.
Thompson is a member of multiple professional organizations, including the American Philosophical Association, Society for Philosophy and Psychology and Southern Society for Philosophy and Psychology, in which he currently serves as secretary.
A philosophy doctoral and master鈥檚 graduate of Washington University in St. Louis, Thompson previously served as president and vice president of the Mississippi Philosophical Association. A native of Evanston, Illinois, he also holds a bachelor鈥檚 of philosophy from Carleton College in Minnesota.
In October 2014, he was selected as the College of Arts and Sciences鈥 Researcher of the Month. He also received the university鈥檚 大象APP Pride Award in 2010.
For more on the Monday humanities lecture, contact Whitney Peterson at 662-325-2646 or wpeterson@deanas.msstate.edu.
Learn more about MSU鈥檚 College of Arts and Sciences at ; its philosophy and religion department at .
MSU is Mississippi鈥檚 leading university, available online at .