Applied philosophy student profiles | Philosophy

Read about our most recent graduate, Kathryn Morrison, on her research and her experience in the applied philosophy program.

Our current graduate student Janet Jones speaks about her graduate student experience in UW's GRADstory.

Prior to the launch of the program the department conducted a pilot project, in which three students did applied research placements.

Rosalind Abdool

“The Philosophy Department at Waterloo prepared me for my current position as a practicing healthcare ethicist. While participating in clinical and organizational case consultations I utilize critical thinking, reasoning skills and ethical frameworks everyday to help staff, patients, families and physicians work through challenging ethical issues in healthcare.

The Department of Philosophy helped to train me to have conversations about the decision to withdraw life sustaining treatment, in a logical, principled and sensitive manner to improve the lives and quality of care of our patients.

Teresa Branch-Smith

In her internship at Philip Beesley Architects, Teresa Branch-Smith examined philosophical constructions of life and living as they apply to a cutting-edge technique called ‘near-living’ architecture.

Being in these spaces and working on these problems with the intention of communicating your experience is something you cannot read in a book. Having this experience will make me a more competitive candidate on the job market.

Andri Bianchi

"I have been researching topics in bioethics for quite some time. This program enabled me to practice my philosophical skills and apply my research to the ‘real world’. Being able to speak with healthcare professionals about working with persons who cannot make decisions for themselves is extremely relevant to caring for our aging population."

I am confident that this placement will be an invaluable experience for my present research, alongside my future career goals.