Joseph Bertram Gittler Fellowship Established by Dr. Gittler with a posthumous gift from his estate, the Joseph Bertram Gittler Fellowship is a dissertation completion fellowship for philosophy graduate students who have been admitted to candidacy. Applicants are asked to submit a two-page description of the dissertation project and a plan for completion that includes what has been accomplished so far on the dissertation. The student’s advisor must also submit a letter in support of the application. Awards are made annually in the spring with support being provided during the following academic year. Dr. Gittler was a scholar, poet, and musician. Born in New York City on September 12, 1912, he was the son of Morris and Toby Rose Gittler. Dr. Gittler earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in the mid 1930s from the University of Georgia and later served as a member of the faculty here. He was a member of Phi Beta Kappa Honor Society, Gridiron, Alpha Phi Omega, the Demosthenian Society, Phi Beta Kappa, Phi Kappa Phi, and pi Mu Epsilon. Dr. Gittler went on to serve on the faculty at Duke University and George Mason University and was a Fulbright Scholar at Ben Gurion University in Beer Sheva, Israel and Hiroshima University in Hiroshima, Japan. He served as Graduate Dean of Ferkauf Graduate School of Humanities and Social Science of Yeshiva University in New York. He was professor and chair of the Department of Sociology at the University of Rochester. He served as a professor at Iowa State University and received his doctorate in Sociology and Philosophy from the University of Chicago. Dr. Gittler authored nine books during his academic career. He passed away on June 20, 2005. The Gittler Fellowship endowment is held by the University of Georgia. Application Process Applications for the Gittler Award are considered during Spring semester. This year, there will be one award of $17,000, which is open to UGA philosophy graduate students entering their 5th year of study or beyond in Fall 2024. The award will be for either Fall 2024, in which case funds will be distributed before the Fall semester or for Spring 2025, in which case funds will be distributed before the Spring semester. Students may wish to specify a preference for the semester in which they take the award. The award is in lieu of one semester's TAship. Award recipients may also be eligible for a one semester TAship next year (at a minimum of 33% level), although accepting such a TAship is not a requirement for the award. Application materials include: A two-page description of the dissertation project and a plan for completion that includes what has been accomplished thus far on the dissertation A letter from the student’s advisor stating what has been accomplished thus far and attesting to the quality of the work and the likelihood that the student will complete the dissertation within two years (if the student is entering their 5th year) or within the Award year if the student is entering their 6th year or beyond. It is the student’s responsibility to solicit this letter from the advisor Application materials should be submitted electronically to the graduate coordinator, Sarah Wright. The 2024 deadline is Friday, May 10.
