Congratulations to Alida Liberman, SMU Associate Professor of Philosophy!
The Prize for Excellence in Philosophy Teaching, sponsored by the American Philosophical Association (APA), the American Association of Philosophy Teachers (AAPT), and the Teaching Philosophy Association (TPA), recognizes a philosophy teacher who has had a profound impact on the student learning of philosophy in undergraduate and/or pre-college settings.
Alida Liberman is an Associate Professor of Philosophy at Southern Methodist University who received her Ph.D. in philosophy from the University of Southern California. Her research focuses on theoretical ethics, practical ethics, and the space in between, as well as feminist philosophy. Alida has published papers on a wide range of topics (including promises, vows, endorsements, resolutions, conscientious refusal in medicine, police violence, sexual ethics, and effective altruism) and has presented her work at over 40 regional, national, and international conferences. Her work on philosophical pedagogy has been published in Teaching Philosophy and AAPT Studies in Pedagogy. Alida regularly facilitates Teaching and Learning Workshops for the AAPT and helped to develop the AAPT’s first workshop focused on inclusive pedagogy. She is the Associate Editor of the Women in Philosophy series at the Blog of the APA, a member of the AAPT Board of Directors for 2023 – 2025, and the co-chair of the APA/AAPT Teaching Hub at the 2023 and 2024 Central APA conferences.
From the selection committee: Dr. Alida Liberman is a dedicated and highly regarded teacher of philosophy at Southern Methodist University, where she is an Associate Professor of Philosophy. Student testimonials suggest that she is regarded not only as one of the best teachers at the university, but one of the best teachers her students have ever encountered. Dr. Liberman has published her work on pedagogy in Teaching Philosophy, AAPT Studies in Pedagogy, and The Blog of the APA. She has given several successful presentations on teaching for the APA and the American Association of Philosophy Teachers (AAPT). For 2023 and 2024, she is a co-organizer for the AAPT/APA Teaching Hub at the Central Division APA Meetings in Denver and New Orleans. Her status as a national leader in philosophy education is reflected in her many invitations to give workshops on philosophy pedagogy at a number of colleges and universities. She developed the first workshop on inclusive pedagogy for the AAPT. Dr. Liberman advises the Southern Methodist University Philosophy Club, and she will be an elected Board Member of the AAPT beginning in 2023.