News

We are thrilled to announce that Dr. Talia Bettcher has been awarded the new inaugural Eddie Goldenberg Research Chair. Dr. Bettcher will work in the Gender and Social Justice and Philosophy areas within the new School of Social, Political and Historical Research (SSPHR). Bettcher is internationally recognized as a foundational figure in trans philosophy, helping shape a field that was once represented by only a handful of scholars. 

For more than three decades, her research and community engagement has helped advance trans community resilience through the development and application of “hermeneutic resources” — concepts and frameworks that help people better understand and communicate lived trans experiences while fostering more meaningful dialogue and education. Her scholarship has influenced research, public discourse and policy recommendations across disciplines, including sociology, psychology, public health and computer science.

Mature Arts students from Philosophy and Liberal Studies share the different perspectives of learning later in life in this WatNews Article: Keeping Curiosity Alive

The Canadian Philosophical Association held its annual congress at Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia from June 6 to 9, 2026. Waterloo Philosophy was very well represented! 

Philosophy faculty and students mourn the loss of Professor Jim Van Evra. Together, we remember his work and life and all his contributions to Philosophy at the University of Waterloo.

The 2026 Rotman Graduate Student Conference takes place each year at Western University in London, Ontario. This year's theme was Philosophical Issues in the Life Sciences. This year's Best Poster Talk was awarded to UW Philosophy graduate student Ashar Khan for his talk on​​​​​​Robustness Analysis as Constraint, Not Confirmation: The Case of Obesity Modelling.

The GradFlix competition asks students to use digital narratives to explain complex research ideas, allowing them to develop their 'elevator pitch'. Students improve their research communication while learning to make their work accessible to non-specialists.

This year, three Philosophy graduate students, George Dumitru, Madeleine Kenyon, and Kota Kitagawa, were chosen to have their videos screened at the final, with Madeleine Kenyon winning 3rd place! 

Jackie Feke appointed as visiting professor at the University of Toronto. Read the full article to find out what Professor Feke has planned for this exciting opportunity. 

The Visiting Public Humanities Faculty Fellowship aims to exchange knowledge between the academy and the public. This fellowship shows a commitment to public scholarship, discussion, debate, and examination across multiple media platforms.

Philosophy with a purpose

“My department worked hard to develop camaraderie and warmth towards and between incoming graduate students, even when gathering in physical spaces was limited or impossible. When I mentioned to my supervisor that I had been feeling isolated from my feminist philosophy community in light of my required courses and pandemic restrictions, Dr. Saul sent out an email that same day to solicit members in our department for a weekly online feminist philosophy reading group – one which still runs now, almost five years later.”

Bridging Philosophy and Healthcare

“My dissertation explores the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) in healthcare. I argue that to responsibly harness the benefits of AI, we need to have effective policies in place to guide its ethical use. Specifically, I evaluate the harms to autonomy and knowledge that could be caused by mental health chatbots and predictive algorithms.”

Each year, the Celebration of Arts ceremony recognizes faculty and staff with outstanding performance. This year, Philosophy's own Gerry Callaghan and Katy Fulfer each received an award.