UCR Philosophy Department News
18 June, 2008
From Dean Cullenberg and Tom Patterson:
The Dean of the College of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences, Stephen Cullenberg, and the Chair of the Executive Committee of the College of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences, Thomas Patterson, are extremely pleased to announce the winners of the College's two teaching awards.
The McCauley-McSweeny Chair in Teaching Excellence for 2008-09 has been awarded to Professor of Philosophy, Larry Wright. This award includes a stipend of $5000 and is given each year to that Senior faculty member in the College who, in the view of the Teaching award committee, best meets the terms of the Patricia McCauley-McSweeny endowment, namely: credentials of the highest standards, excellence in teaching and a background in teaching and research. The committee writes in part:
Professor Larry Wright has been a faculty member at the UCR for several decades. A main aspect of his teaching is the course Phil 007: Introduction to Critical Thinking. Over the last few decades, Prof. Wright has developed a unique and sophisticated approach that makes this course superior to similar classes elsewhere. He is considered one of the founders of the critical thinking movement, a set of pedagogical concerns and values that has been widely adopted. According to one of his colleagues, Larry delves deep into the presuppositions of successful reasoning, including subtle aspects of the process of reading critically and of extracting, not just information, but arguments from what one reads.
Prof. Wright’s ability to motivate students has been highlighted in many ways. He creates a friendly and, at the same time, intense atmosphere; he gets many of the students excited about the subject matter in the process. Students who take the course regularly express a sense of transformation in their reasoning, reading, and writing skills. A former student who is now an assistant professor of philosophy affirms that, as a teacher of undergraduates, Professor Wright is a model of erudition and clarity: Through a perfect mix of passion and finely honed teaching skills, he can get a hundred students at a time to think better, to understand themselves an each other better, and to like it.
Outside the classroom, Prof. Wright devotes great energy to mentoring and assisting students. A good example is his ongoing reading group on the writings of Ludwig Wittgenstein, which has been meeting for over 20 years once a week in his house. Many students attest that spends many hours in his house talking about different subjects and encouraging students in their academic and professional life.
In summary, the committee considered that Prof. Larry Wright is an example of teaching commitment and engagement for both students and faculty. He has been consistent in maintaining a high level of teaching quality over many decades and has demonstrated the ability to combine in his teaching, rigorous thinking and a passion for human reasoning.