ELIZA WELLS
Service
Some of my most personally meaningful time in grad school was spent as a Graduate Director for Philosophy in an Inclusive Key (PIKSI)–Boston in 2021 and 2022. ​Each summer, PIKSI brings undergraduates from communities underrepresented in philosophy to MIT for a week of workshops, mentoring, and colloquia. By doing philosophy in a supportive, collaborative environment, PIKSI shows marginalized students that there is a place for them in the discipline. It also does concrete work to help them get there, combating the “pipeline problem” through professional development workshops, panels on graduate life and admissions, and long-term mentorship relationships.
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At MIT, I was heavily involved in department life as a graduate student representative and organizer for reading groups, mentorship programs, and more. In 2023, my work was recognized with MIT’s biannual Graduate Women of Excellence award, which honors leadership, service, mentorship, and drive to improve the student experience.
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In 2023, I also took on an organizing role to revive MIT’s Minorities & Philosophy (MAP) chapter. MAP is an international graduate student organization that aims to address structural injustices in academic philosophy. In my year as an organizer, we organized pedagogy workshops, a colloquium, and social events, and created a resource guide for incoming first-year graduate students.
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Work in Religious Studies
While at Stanford, I completed an MA in Religious Studies, focusing on social justice and theology. I have worked on several projects developing feminism within the Mormon tradition, which you can learn more about here.
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Ethics Bowl
I discovered philosophy through high school Ethics Bowl and co-founded Stanford's Practical Ethics Club and Ethics Bowl team as an undergraduate. They are still going strong!
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When I'm not doing philosophy (and often when I am!), you can find me with my dog, Pippin.