Friends of the Philosophy Department
Brian Rudrick (Posthumous 1959 - 2013)
Dr. Brian F. Rudrick was a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians of Canada and a Pathologist and Laboratory Director for Grey Bruce Health Services when he began taking Waterloo Philosophy courses part-time by Extended Learning in 1996. He completed his Bachelor's degree in 2007. He studied everything from the history of philosophy to political philosophy, and from logic to existentialism while mixing in courses in Sociology, Economics, and Mathematics.
Brian was an active supporter of the Department of Philosophy and the University of Waterloo. He was a willing visitor to undergraduate and graduate classes in the Department, giving talks and lectures that demonstrated how the critical thinking, communication, and analytical skills essential to good philosophy are important to decision-making in a medical setting. He exemplified what it is to contribute philosophically to professional and public life. His willingness to share his story about the value he found in studying philosophy was of lasting value to the Department. For the generous donation of his time, his financial support of Philosophy education at Waterloo, and his inspiring example of lifelong learning, the Department of Philosophy unanimously voted to recognize Brian F. Rudrick as a Friend of the Philosophy Department. Dr. Rudrick graciously agreed to accept the honour shortly before his sudden and tragic death in March 2013. The Department remembers his friendship with affection and gratitude.
The Brian Rudrick Visiting Scholar in Philosophy is made possible by a generous gift from the estate of Dr. Brian F. Rudrick
Gerry Remers
Gerry Remers received his MA in Philosophy at the University of Waterloo in 1982, completing his thesis (“Edmund Husserl’s Phenomenological Theory of Intersubjectivity”) under the supervision of Professor Richard Holmes.
An early proponent of digital projection technology, Remers's leadership saw first Electrohome and then Christie Digital evolve into a global research and sales leader in the industry. He has always had strong relationships with the University, the Faculty of Arts, and the Department of Philosophy, and in 2007 he received a University 50th Anniversary Alumni Award.
In his various public leadership roles, Remers emphasizes the practical relevance of the analytical and communicative skills one acquires through philosophical education, and he illustrates the application of ethical ideals in his work with local charities and educational foundations. He also played an integral role in securing the Wolfe Chair in Scientific and Technological Literacy for the University and for the Department of Philosophy. For his outstanding voluntarism on behalf of the Department and for his history of outreach on behalf of the discipline, the Department is pleased to recognize Gerry Remers as a Friend of the Philosophy Department.
Robert Ewen
Robert Ewen came to Waterloo Philosophy from his original program in Engineering. Intrigued with themes in Parmenides, Heraclitus, and Hegel, he graduated with an Honours BA in Philosophy in 1971. With a subsequent MBA in hand, by the late 1970s, Ewen was becoming skilled in finance. As a broker and discretionary money manager, he has enjoyed great success in the Canadian banking industry. Ewen is a strong supporter of the universities from which he graduated and of the Bruce Trail Association (whose 720 kilometers both he and his wife Anita have hiked end-to-end). In 2017 received a 60th Anniversary Alumni Award, and he continues to bring philosophical reflection to bear on his life and work.
On his website, he puts it this way:
Studying Philosophy revealed how I think; Studying Business showed how my competitors think; Within is my evolving process which utilizes this gap.
For his role as a major supporter of the Philosophy’s undergraduate awards program, and for his generosity in consulting with the Department on strategic development goals, we are pleased to recognize Robert Ewen as a Friend of the Philosophy Department.
Arts
in
academics
Each
year,
the
Faculty
of
Arts
recognizes
the
academic
achievements
of
Waterloo
Arts
alumni.
We
are
proud
to
have
several
recent
winners
of
this
award.
Nathan Houser (2010)
Nathan
Houser
is
one
of
the
world's
most
distinguished
scholars
of
American
philosopher
C.S.
Peirce.
He
earned
all
three
of
his
Philosophy
degrees
at
the
University
of
Waterloo,
between
1974
and
1986.
Nathan
was
a
founding
editor
of
Eidos,
the
graduate
journal
of
philosophy
that
UW's
philosophy
grads
have
been
editing
and
publishing
for
over
thirty
years.
In
1980,
he
began
working
on
the
university's
satellite
of
the
Peirce
Edition
Project
(PEP)
-
an
ambitious,
decades-long
undertaking
to
publish
the
critical
edition
of
Peirce's
writings.
In
1983,
Nathan
joined
the
Philosophy
department
and
main
branch
of
the
PEP
at
Indiana
University-Purdue
University
Indianapolis
(IUPUI).
He
was
appointed
director
and
general
editor
of
the
PEP
in
1993,
full
professor
in
1997,
and
founding
director
of
the
Institute
of
American
Thought
in
2003.
Nathan,
now
Professor
Emeritus,
at
IUPUI,
is
equally
noted
for
his
original
publications
on
Peirce's
thought
and
for
his
leadership
of
the
PEP,
for
which
he
garnered
over
a
million
dollars
in
grants
and
gifts,
and
which
he
worked
to
develop
from
a
North
American
to
truly
international
collaboration.
Paul Rusnock (2009)
Paul
Rusnock
is
a
graduate
of
the
Universities
of
Toronto
(BSc,
MA),
New
Brunswick
(BEd),
and
Waterloo
(PhD).
As
an
undergraduate,
he
studied
a
variety
of
subjects,
with
a
concentration
in
mathematics,
English
literature,
and
zoology.
After
completing
a
master's
degree
in
the
history
and
philosophy
of
science,
he
came
to
Waterloo
for
doctoral
studies
in
philosophy
in
1992,
finishing
in
1996.
For
several
years
after
that,
accompanied
by
his
family,
he
led
the
life
of
an
itinerant
scholar,
with
stops
in
Paris
(1996-98),
East
Lansing,
Michigan
(1998-99),
Edmonton
(1999-2001),
and
Ottawa
(2001-04).
In
2004
he
found
more
permanent
work
at
the
University
of
Ottawa,
where
he
is
now
an
associate
professor.
His
present
research,
in
collaboration
with
Rolf
George
of
Waterloo
and
Jan
Sebestik
of
the
National
Centre
for
Scientific
Research
(CNRS)
(France),
focuses
on
the
philosopher,
mathematician
and
social
reformer
Bernard
Bolzano
(1748-1848).
Trudy
Govier
(2008)
A
widely
published
scholar
of
war
and
peace,
Govier
completed
her
PhD
in
Philosophy
at
Waterloo
in
1971.
Through
her
influential
book
A
Practical
Study
of
Argument
(now
in
its
sixth
edition)
she
is
probably
responsible
for
teaching
critical
thinking
to
more
people
than
anyone
else
in
Canada.
Whether
in
moral
philosophy,
political
philosophy,
or
argumentation
theory,
her
work
shows
a
long-standing
commitment
not
only
to
excellence
but
also
to
the
public
application
and
accessibility
of
academic
research.
Stephen
Ward
(2007)
Stephen Ward completed his PhD in Philosophy at the University of Waterloo in 1988. He went on to become an accomplished foreign correspondent and Canadian Press bureau chief. Following an appointment as a research fellow at Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government, Stephen accepted a position at the University of British Columbia, serving as the Director of both the School of Journalism and Journalism Ethics for the Global Citizen program. His book The Invention of Journalism Ethics: The Path to Objectivity and Beyond, won the 2005-2006 Harold Adams Innis Prize from the Canadian Federation for the Humanities and Social Sciences.