Professor Claude Evans who joined the Department of Philosophy in 1984 is retiring this summer.
Evans's research focused especially upon environmental philosophy, romanticism, and the aesthetics of landscape. He has authored multiple books, including With Respect for Nature: Living as Part of the Natural World and Strategies of Deconstruction: Derrida and the Myth of the Voice. A recent project focuses on philosophy and opera in the 19th Century. Two "Kierkegaardian Interpretations" of Wagner's Tannhäuser appeared in Opera Quarterly and he is currently working on Kierkegaardian interpretations of Tristan & Isolde.
As professor, Evans brought to life courses in existentialism, aesthetics, and environmental ethics. Students from departments across the campus would seek out his direction in philosophy as it related to different disciplines. Within philosophy, he has been a valued colleague and mentor, serving for years as the Director of Graduate Studies and playing a vital role in the life of the Department. Evans will now assume emeritus status.