fbpx

Henry Kreuzman came to the college from Notre Dame in 1990 to apply philosophy to developing technologies and scientific knowledge.  His area of specialization was epistemology and philosophy of science.  From the time of his arrival, Kreuzman was the primary force in shaping the current Philosophy Department to meet the needs of a new generation of students by bringing philosophy’s analytical tools to bear on contemporary issues.  Hired originally to fill a position funded from a Mellon Foundation grant to address issues in applied ethics, the department quickly began offering courses in ethical issues in law, medicine, and science.  Our robust pre-law advising program emerged under his leadership.  Through his unique organizational skills and persistence, Hank shaped curriculum, bolstered existing programs, focused the place of faculty hires, and more than doubled the number of our majors.  With respect to the latter, he was a superb advisor and personal counselor not only to philosophy majors but to all students who came through his classes.  He continually encouraged women to study philosophy and increased the number of female majors.  Under his leadership, the number of philosophy students accepted for graduate programs dramatically increased, with some going to the best programs in the country.  His energy in developing the pre-law program produced the same results.  As Hank moved into the position of Dean of Academic Affairs, he brought the same energy and skills to his work across the college’s curriculum.  He worked tirelessly to implement the strategic academic goal of globalization.  In all, Hank leaves a legacy that includes an impressive model for teaching, advising and administrating for the Philosophy Department and the college.  After serving several years as provost at the American University in Paris, he returned to teaching in the Philosophy Department before his retirement in 2020.