The University of Alabama at Birmingham

01/14/2025 | News release | Distributed by Public on 01/14/2025 17:16

UAB professors receive competitive national awards for excellence in philosophy teaching, scholarship

Written by: Tehreem Khan and Chris McCauley
Media contact: Tehreem Khan

Brynn Welch, Ph.D. and Lindsay Brainard, Ph.D.Brynn Welch, Ph.D., philosophy professor at the University of Alabama at Birmingham College of Arts and Sciences, has been awarded the 2024 David W. Concepción Prize for Excellence in Philosophy Teaching from the American Philosophical Association, recognizing profound impact of her teaching initiatives on student learning.

In addition, Lindsay Brainard, Ph.D., assistant professor in the Department of Philosophy, received the 2024 Article Prize from the American Philosophical Association for her article, "The Curious Case of Uncurious Creation," which was published in Inquiry: An Interdisciplinary Journal of Philosophy in 2023. The prize is given for the best, published article by a younger scholar in the previous two years.

Welch's award honors her philosophy of teaching, which emphasizes empowering students and making philosophy accessible to all. Her work, which includes writing accessible books on teaching philosophy, has helped bridge the gap between complex philosophical concepts and students' everyday experiences.

"I am hoping the award will bring about more opportunities to think and talk about teaching, which is one of my favorite things to do," Welch said. "I am excited to continue introducing students to philosophy with the same rigor while working on books and other initiatives to support it. Teaching is close to my heart -- my father was a teacher, and I am honored to carry his legacy. I want my daughters to be as proud of my work as I am of my dad's."

Brainard's award-winning paper explores whether contemporary artificial intelligence models can be creative. She considers three conditions that are commonly taken to be necessary for creativity by philosophers: novelty, value and agency. According to her research, AI models cannot satisfy the kind of agency required for creativity.

"I was surprised and delighted to win the article prize, especially because many of the previous recipients are philosophers I look up to," said Brainard. "I wrote this article because I believe it is important to challenge popular narratives about the creative abilities of contemporary AI. I'm very grateful that other philosophers are reading and engaging with my ideas, and I'm honored that the APA has recognized my work with this award."

The David W. Concepción Prize is awarded annually by the American Philosophical Association, the American Association of Philosophy Teachers and the Teaching Philosophy Association. The American Philosophical Association alternates giving an award to the best article and book published by a younger scholar in the previous two years.