St. Mary’s Projects

Alumni Spotlight

Gregory Poling '07
Major: Philosophy and History
Greg is a fellow with the Sumitro Chair for Southeast Asia Studies and the Pacific Partners Initiative at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a non-partisan think tank in Washington, DC. He manages research projects that focus on U.S. foreign policy in the Asia Pacific, with a special focus on the member countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. His current research interests include disputes in the South China Sea, democratization in Southeast Asia, and Asian multilateralism.

st-marys-philosophy

The St. Mary’s Project (SMP) is a year-long, 8-credit, capstone of study at St. Mary’s.

SMPs are an independently designed and executed course of study. Working in close conjunction with one or more professors, in or outside of the department, students have the opportunity to explore, in depth, a question or idea that entrances and intrigues them.

An SMP may take the form of a research paper or a creative expression of the arts. It may include collaborative work and build upon components of internships, study-abroad programs, and other experimental formats, as well as traditional research skills.

Philosophy SMPs

Projects in philosophy typically involve:

Research
Critical reflection
A written articulation of a topic

Students should be able to:

Make arguments
Cite relevant literature
Draw appropriate conclusions in their work

In addition to classic research and argumentative writing projects, the department welcomes collaborative, experimental and/or multi-disciplinary projects.