Philosophy Professor Eugene Heath named SUNY Distinguished Professor
Eugene Heath, professor of philosophy at SUNY New Paltz, has earned the title of SUNY Distinguished Professor, becoming one of just 22 New Paltz faculty members who have attained this highest academic rank in the State University system.
The Distinguished Professorship is conferred solely by the State University Board of Trustees as a means of honoring individuals who have achieved national or international prominence and a distinguished reputation within their chosen field.
Heath is widely recognized as a leading researcher on central figures of the 18th century Scottish Enlightenment, most notably Adam Smith and Adam Ferguson, and he is credited with helping bring renewed scholarly attention and fresh critical perspectives to these thinkers.
Professor Heath’s publications include numerous peer-reviewed articles, book chapters, reviews, encyclopedia entries, a textbook and an anthology. He has edited or co-edited five books, and he is one of two chief editors of a multi-volume edition of Ferguson’s collected works currently underway with Edinburgh University Press. He also publishes in business ethics and is the co-editor of “The Routledge Companion to Business Ethics,” a state-of-the-art, global survey of the field with contributions from scholars in North America, Europe, China, South Asia, Africa and Latin America.
He draws on his expertise for the benefit of New Paltz students in philosophy courses, and also coordinates the minor in Medieval & Early Modern Studies, providing mentorship to undergraduate scholars and helping them find opportunities to present their work at national conferences.
His service to the University includes stints as chair of the Department of Philosophy, interim chair of the Department of Communication & Media, and membership on numerous committees, including Reappointment, Tenure, & Promotion and Academic Affairs.
Heath has given more than 50 professional presentations, including several invited talks, and has been honored with a visiting research fellowship by the University of Edinburgh’s Institute for Advanced Studies in the Humanities for work on the European Enlightenment Project.
The rank of SUNY Distinguished Professor was created by the SUNY Board of Trustees in 1963. Since then, more than 1,100 faculty have received honors for Distinguished Professorship, Distinguished Teaching Professorship, Distinguished Service Professorship, and Distinguished Librarian.
As members of the Distinguished Academy, these exceptional faculty function as role models and devote appropriate service to University-wide activities, both ceremonial and professional, such as offering lectures and seminars, informing curricular reform, improving the overall academic experience of students, mentoring junior faculty, and leading inquiry into issues of importance to SUNY and society.
Visit https://www.suny.edu/distinguished-academy/ for more information.