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The Department of Philosophy is home to six more graduate students who have been awarded research assistantships over the past three years courtesy of the ‘Equity Scholars’ program in College of Liberal Arts. These students have received mentorship to assist them with their research goals, both within PHIL and CLA, along with financial support.

These graduate students, pictured from left to right, are Sarah Nolte, Emily Richmond, Isaiah Navarro, and Lancy Lopez. (Daniel Mangandi Escobar and Paige Kim are pictured below.)

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Sarah Nolte describes her experience in the MA program at É«ÖÐÉ« as being "humbling in the very best way possible." The rigor of the program, she says, has challenged her to think critically and creatively about her long-standing beliefs, reëvaluating and modifying them where necessary. Sarah particularly appreciates the steady and patient mentorship of Dr. Max Rosenkrantz: 'he always leaves his door open to students and goes above and beyond what is necessary', she says, and 'he is also a great conversationalist and really cares about the well-being of his students'. The EQS award has allowed Sarah to focus more on her schoolwork and less on her finances, making it more likely that she will finish her MA degree this year; she is excited to be back in the classroom.

Emily Richmond’s first impactful experience with philosophy was as an undergraduate; the calm assuredness of her UC Riverside professors inspired her to continue her academic journey. Here at É«ÖÐÉ«, Emily is exploring lines of research related to intersection of philosophy and psychology; she has also been supported by the mentorship of Department Chair Cory Wright, who has made himself available to answer various questions about student success. So far, her favorite part of the program has been getting to know her peers and participating in lecture discussions. Emily is planning on applying to PhD programs after she finishes her MA degree.

Isaiah Navarro's interest in philosophy was piqued after reading about Plato’s theory of forms and Zeno’s paradoxes. Years later, with exposure to existentialism and the philosophy of mind—particularly David Chalmers’s book on consciousness—Isaiah decided to go back to school to study philosophy. He has enjoyed the wide variety of courses offered in the program and the productive conversations with other students and faculty. Professors Cory Wright and Per Milam have been important and impactful mentors for Isaiah. Dr. Wright supervised his undergraduate thesis, and has provided practical advice and feedback on philosophical ideas; and Isaiah is also assisting him with editing a forthcoming book project. With Dr. Milam, Isaiah is co-writing a paper on the ethics of self-blame, developed from some ideas that he had in Dr. Milam’s class. He is grateful for Dr. Milam’s guidance, which helped make possible Isaiah's poster presentation at a national ethics conference in August 2026. All of these things have been made possible because the EQS program allowed him to devote fewer hours to his job and more time towards his passion of philosophy. Isaiah is currently in the process of applying to PhD programs to continue his education in philosophy.

Lancy Lopez's first meaningful exposure to philosophy was through Kwame Appiah's textbook in a course called 'Methods and Problems of Philosophical Thought' at Columbia. In that class she first encountered the Gettier problem, which motivated her to study philosophy further. Here in the MA program at É«ÖÐÉ«, Per Milam has been a valuable mentor, providing feedback on ideas and helping her grow as a philosopher. Among her favorite parts of the MA program are the colloquia and symposia: being able to hear arguments from a wide range of guest speakers has been a great experience, she says. Lancy appreciates that the CLA EQS program has demonstrated the college’s commitment to underrepresented students, which has strengthened her resolve and motivated her to do exceptional work in the program. She plans to continue on to the doctoral level next.

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Daniel Mangandi Escobar also credits the CLA EQS program with allowing members of underrepresented groups to join spaces that could otherwise be difficult to reach, and for helping him build the confidence to pursue higher education. He has enjoyed connecting with students from diverse backgrounds, and the meaningful discussions he has had with them have shaped his own arguments and paper projects. He is grateful for the guidance and mentorship of Dr. Marie Jayasekera—especially the tips she gave him on managing graduate level coursework. Daniel is currently working on his culminating activity and excited to delve deeper into those paper topics. Once he graduates, Daniel plans on earning a JD to work in the legal profession.

Paige Kim [not pictured]

The Department of Philosophy is grateful for this program. Our student success objectives are met and exceeded when the university and college invest in the lives of our graduate students.