Syracuse Sun

Kellan D. L. Head, a doctoral candidate in the Department of Philosophy at Syracuse University, has been awarded the 2025 Mary Hatch Marshall Essay Award for his work titled “Alienation and Cognitive Subjectivism About Well-Being.” The College of Arts and Sciences and the Syracuse University Library Associates will hold a virtual award event on Tuesday, April 8, at 1 p.m. (EST). Those interested in attending can register by emailing libevent@syr.edu by April 4.

Head will receive a $1,000 prize for his essay, which addresses well-being concerns and evaluates how well an individual's life is going. His argument challenges cognitive subjectivism—the idea that believing something is good for oneself makes it so—by highlighting cases where individuals may feel alienated from what they believe to be beneficial.

His essay was selected from submissions by graduate students enrolled in various departments within the College of Arts and Sciences. Head plans to defend his Ph.D. in philosophy during the Spring 2026 semester, specializing in ethics, epistemology, and social epistemology. He holds a master's degree from Brandeis University and a bachelor's degree from the University of Rochester.

The Mary Hatch Marshall Award honors Professor Mary Hatch Marshall's legacy as a founding member of the Library Associates and her contributions to English literature education at Syracuse University. Established in 2004 through contributions from various foundations and community members, the award recognizes scholarly excellence among graduate students.

The Library Associates are dedicated supporters of SU Libraries who help raise funds for special collections through programs like Faculty Fellows. For those interested in joining or contributing to the award endowment, contact Ron Thiele at rlthiele@syr.edu or 315.560.9419.