“Are they aware that I’m a senior in college?”: Undergraduate philosophy student wins Best Graduate Paper at the SEAC Conference

In October of 2024, Clemson student Jessi Smith was awarded the Best Graduate Student Paper at the Society for Ethics Across the Curriculum (SEAC) conference. The catch? Jessi’s not a graduate student—at least not yet.

The Society for Ethics Across the Curriculum is a US-based non-profit with a mission to stimulate scholarship on ethics and the teaching of ethics in all academic disciplines. Clemson hosted the national 2024 SEAC conference with the society-appointed theme “Nurturing Democratic Responsibility in the Age of Artificial Intelligence (AI)”.

Coincidently, just a few months before the conference came to Clemson, Smith—a senior philosophy major—finished and defended her honors philosophy thesis on the ways that AI can provide epistemic testimony.

“In the most non-complicated terms possible,” she explained, “testimony refers to the instances where we form a belief, on the basis of what others have told us.”

Her paper centered on AI’s ability to be a reliable source for factual information.

“Using AI comes with issues, specifically issues with correct information, which can corrode our social trust. We are used to seeing video and photographic evidence and trusting that what it represents is true. That is simply not the case anymore. That’s why I wrote this paper. I am concerned about what happens when we become reliant on technology for factual queries, especially one that may have negative implications.”

Though she knew it was a bold philosophical argument, Smith was dedicated to her paper from the beginning.

Jessi took on an ambitious and creative project at a time when there was little settled or helpful scholarship on her topic. I would frankly warn most students away from such a project, but not Jessi—her original and innovative thesis shows her wonderful tenacity and resourcefulness to opening up new philosophical ground. She was passionate about this project and just a delight to work with—dedicated, thoughtful, and always brimming with new ideas and questions.

ADAM GIES, Smith’s Honors Thesis Advisor

Smith completed her thesis in the spring of 2024, a year before her projected graduation date. With the thesis completed, she originally joined the SEAC conference planning team (run through a Creative Inquiry project) for fun.

Edyta Kuzian, Senior Lecturer in the Department of Philosophy and Religion and leader of the SEAC Creative Inquiry, encouraged Smith to submit her paper to the conference’s award program. The award program did not include an undergraduate category, but graduate and undergraduate students were invited to submit to the Best Graduate Paper. “It is a national organization, but [Kuzian] wanted there to be some Clemson names in there,” Smith explained.

A few months later, as Smith and the team were printing and framing the conference awards, Kuzian shared the news: Smith had won the award for Best Graduate Paper.

“I got really concerned,” Smith explained, after hearing that she won the award. “I didn’t know if they were aware that I was a senior in college.”

Smith attended the conference as both an award recipient and member of the planning team, where she had the opportunity to meet the president of SEAC.

“She said they picked [my paper] because it was well thought out and she could see there was a lot of thought and time put into it,” Smith said, reassured.

As an award recipient, Smith also gave a presentation of her paper at the conference, breaking down her complex argument into manageable pieces for conferencegoers to understand.

“Jessi’s presentation of her research at the SEAC conference was a remarkable thing to see,” said Associate Professor Charles Starkey, director of Clemson’s B.A. philosophy program.  “The award is much deserved and is a testament to both the quality of our majors and the quality of the instruction in the philosophy program.”

As she looks to the future, Smith hopes to publish her award-winning paper. The publication process is an impressive feat for all researchers, especially an undergraduate student.

“When you’re an undergraduate trying to get something published, you go through your mentor,” she explained. “And it’s interesting because it’s something that’s demanding for them to do too. But they’ve been very willing to help me.”

Smith is working on refining her paper’s argument to get it ready to submit for publication. Following graduation and a hopeful publication, Smith desires to attend graduate school, earn a Ph.D. in Philosophy and become a professor. As she reflects on her Clemson Experience, Smith notes how winning the Best Graduate Paper has given her confidence for the future.

“I [feel] more prepared to go off to grad school knowing that people that are looking at [my paper] from the eyes of reading graduate work think it’s good. It made me feel like I can compete.”