Trevor Woodward Wins Lindley Award

Trevor Woodward may be described by many scholarly attributes: National Merit Scholar, University Honors Program Students and an Honors Thesis pursuer — and now, during his senior year at the University of Idaho, Lindley Award winner. Trevor received the College of Letters, Arts and Social Sciences prestigious Lindley Award in addition to his already incredible list of academic accomplishments. The College’s Lindley Award is given each year to the top senior in the College. Yet, Trevor’s love of knowledge cascaded to the journey of philosophy. Before joining the University of Idaho, Trevor knew about the love of science and the drive to one day become a law student.

Yet, when he enrolled in a general education course his outlooked radically changed. In hopes of fulfilling humanities credits, Trevor took on the challenge of an unknown topic, philosophy. It took one lecture from Dr. Casey Johnson’s honors section of PHIL 103, Introduction to Ethics, for the curiosity to set in and for Trevor to change his academic major.

Now buffed with the knowledge of analyzing metaphysics, the role of the universe, what is considered a good life and much more, Trevor has achieved leadership and erudition. Leadership as an editor of The Hemlock, the journal of philosophy, written and edited by University of Idaho undergraduate students. Erudition by being one of twenty students selected worldwide to undertake the prestigious Colorado Summer Seminar in Philosophy during the Summer of 2021. As a result, Woodward, who is graduating in Spring 2022, already displays the drive for graduate-level performance.

Additionally, Trevor works as a Research Assistant for Dr. Bert Baumgaertner. As Trevor’s primary Honors Thesis Advisor, Baumgaertner works regularly as the main support and professional channel for Trevor’s Honors Thesis research and upcoming presentation. In Spring 2022, Trevor will present his Honors Thesis entitled “Non-Classical Mereology and Metaphysical Explanation” at the bi-annual University Honors Program Forum for Research, Scholarship and Creative Activities in partial fulfillment of the program’s requirements. The presentation is free and open to all. Importantly, Trevor has discovered how philosophy makes knowledge gratifying to pursue.

Article by Emma Hofmaister, University Honors Program staff.

Photography by Joe Pallen, University of Idaho Creative Services.

Source by CLASS Notes, Winter 2022; Read about the full journey.