The Department awards the John Dewey Prize, funded by the James B. and Grace J. Nelson Endowment for the Teaching of Philosophy, for excellence in teaching as a Graduate Student Instructor. Students must have achieved a record of excellence over more than one term of teaching to be eligible for consideration for this prize, awarded at the close of the Winter Term. The Department automatically considers all eligible students.
The prize carries an award of $900, Dewey's salary when he arrived at Michigan as an instructor in Philosophy in 1884. Dewey remained at Michigan until 1888. Dewey's interest in higher education, social science, and practical social reform were already emerging during this period. Dewey returned to Michigan in 1889 to head the Department. He remained for five years, moving the Department away from an ethics curriculum rooted in religion. Dewey's "pragmatism" was to develop much more fully during this period.
Please continue reading for more information about Dewey's time at Michigan, his interest in education, his interest in education, and his career is available. Also see Brian A. Williams' John Dewey at the University of Michigan.
Dewey Prize Recipients
"Rackham" indicates students who also received the Rackham Graduate School Outstanding GSI Award
2023-24 Gillian Gray
2022-23 Cameron McCulloch
2021-22 Rebecca Harrison
2020-21 Angela Sun
2019-20 Josh Hunt & Elise Woodard
2018-19 Eli Lichtenstein
2017-18 Johann Hariman & Caroline Perry
2016-17 Mara Bollard
2015-16 Nina Windgätter
2014-15 Zoë Johnson King
2013-14 Nils-Hennes Stear
2012-13 Annette Bryson
2011-12 Chloe Armstrong (Rackham)
2010-11 Daniel Peterson
2009-10 Lina Jansson
2008-09 Ivan Mayerhofer
2007-08 Tim Sundell (Rackham)
2006-07 Soraya Gollop
2005-06 Alexa Forrester
2004-05 Mathew Silverstein
2003-04 Steven Daskal (Rackham)
2002-03 Christie Hartley (Rackham)
2001-02 Katie McShane (Rackham)
2000-01 Peter Vranas
1999-00 Karen Bennett
1998-99 Suzanne Kovinsky (Rackham)
1997-98 Samuel Ruhmkorff (Rackham)
1996-97 Jeffery Allen
1996-97 Manyul Im (Rackham)
1995-96 Nadeem Hussain (Rackham)
1993-94 Jeffrey Kasser
