The Jerry Miller Award
An Annual Essay Competition
Mr. and Mrs. William M. Richardson, the United Virginia Bank, and members of the family of Gerald G. Miller have established an endowment in memory of Jerry Miller, the income from which is used to provide an annual award. This award, typically of at least $1,000, is made to a graduating senior philosophy major (or majors) who, in the judgment of the faculty of the Department of Philosophy, presents the best essay in an annual competition.
The competition is open to all philosophy majors graduating within the given academic year (December, May, or August). Instructors may nominate candidates and submit papers on their behalf, but students may also enter without such nomination. Students may submit papers written for courses, chapters from honors theses, or essays written specifically for the contest.
Submissions are due by April 15 each year, and should be submitted in paper form directly to the departmental office. Essays must be submitted in duplicate, and authorship must be indicated only on a separate cover page.
The essays are judged by a committee composed of two members of the department's faculty. The committee's recommendation for the winner of the award is submitted to the entire department for approval. The department may choose not to bestow the award in a given year, or it may choose to divide the award between two (or more) students.
Recipients:
2024 - Kia Morawetz - Yi Shao
2023 - Preston Budd - Michelle Yue
2022 - Jared Jones - Hengyun (Jacob) Yang
2021 - Jacob (Jake) Beardsley
2020 - Carl Alan Huber
2019 - William M. Siegmund - Yifan (Sue) Su
2018 - Yonghao (Abe) Wang
2017 - Nathaniel J. Wahrenberger
2016 - George Eric Rudebusch
2015 - James Peter Favaloro
2014 - No recipient
2013 - Justin Warren Burnam - Grace Helen Mendenhall - Zachary Levi McCarty
2012 - Dustin Ryan Crummett - Adam Jared Lerner
2011 - Devin Sanchez Curry
2010 - Daniel Carl Homer
2009 - Long Jonathan Vinh
2008 - No recipient
2007 - Mackenzie Elizabeth Fama - Damian Alexander Wassel
2006 - Christopher Daryl Cameron
2005 - Justin Eames - Michelle Saint
2004 - No recipient
2003 - No recipient
2002 - No recipient
2001 - Marissa Grimes
2000 - No recipient
1999 - Erin Bradham
1998 - Derek Kershaw
1997 - No recipient
1996 - Craig Foisy
1995 - Christopher Reich Taylor
1994 - Unknown or no recipient
1993 - Carlton Eric Greene
1992 - Unknown or no recipient
1991 - John Partridge
1990 - Unknown or no recipient
1989 - Martha Burns
1988 - Cynthia Gurnee
1987 - Jonnie C McGranahan Jr.
1986 - Darryl Everett Grigg