The Current

Issue date: 9/8/08 Section: News

Media Credit: Matthew Hill Stephanie Ross, Ph.D., is the first woman in the history of UM-St. Louis to be named the head of the Philosophy Department.

From Harvard University to Columbia University, and from Princeton to Syracuse University - these are just a few of the institutions that have educated the faculty in UM-St. Louis' Department of Philosophy. The department has been educating the minds of men and women since 1963. For the first time in the department's history a woman now holds the title of Chairperson.

Stephanie Ross received her Ph.D. in Philosophy from Harvard University and has been teaching at UM-St. Louis since 1976.

"The first thing I did was paint my office," said Ross. She said she wanted an environment where she would be happy spending long hours. The sign on her door still reads "Chairman." She said wants to keep it right where it is.

Ross, who is also Director of Graduate Studies for philosophy, was on leave last semester at Oregon State University. She spent her time working on a project titled, "Ideal Critics, Bad Art, Rotten Reviews."

"It was very exciting to be with other people in the humanities center, very invigorating," Ross said. "I came back from Oregon all the more enthusiastic about philosophy," she said. "I was able to relax and enjoy [the study of philosophy], and I want to make it possible for everyone in the department to have that good feeling," she said.

Ross is currently teaching one course, the philosophy of art. She speaks high praises for all of the faculty members in the department, including Ronald Munson, former Chairman.

"He's an eminent philosopher of medicine," Ross said. "He's being very nice in staying around this semester." She said he has been helping her adjust to and learn about her new position. "He's going on leave next semester, but now I can go beg for help all the time," Ross said.

Ross is also a published author. Modern music, women and fiction and the death of art are just a few of the topics she has written articles on. "What Gardens Mean" was published in 1998.

"With sound scholarship Stephanie Ross beautifully integrates garden and art history, philosophy, psychology and literature," said Mara Miller, an artist whose collections are displayed across the country. "'What Gardens Mean' is a fascinating and original study of the history of gardens and the aesthetic and philosophical issues they raise," Miller said in a review of the book.

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