Brian Braman receives Phi Beta Kappa Teaching Award
Brian Braman, a professor of the practice in the Philosophy Department who directed the University’s Perspectives program for 21 years, is this year’s recipient of the Phi Beta Kappa Teaching Award, presented by Boston College students in the prestigious honors society.
Each year, Phi Beta Kappa students submit nominations for outstanding teachers who have positively influenced their experiences at BC, either inside or outside the classroom. Faculty are selected for the award based on the cumulative nominations from students over multiple years.
Professor of the Practice of Philosophy Brian Braman
Braman, whose areas of interest are the intersection of philosophy and art, and the work of Bernard Lonergan, S.J., has taught in the Perspectives program since 1996 and served as its director from 1998 to 2019. One of BC’s signature programs, Perspectives is an interdisciplinary course of study that integrates the humanities and natural sciences by bringing students into conversation with the ancient, modern, and contemporary thinkers who have shaped Western intellectual and spiritual thought. Inspired by the Jesuit tradition of providing a humanist context for professional and scientific education, Perspectives courses seek to educate the whole person, and to help students develop skills in critical thinking and practical living.
Despite its rigorousness, Perspectives has been whole-heartedly embraced by the hundreds of first-year students who take Perspectives on Western Culture each year and often cite it as their favorite class at BC. Students can take courses in the Perspectives program throughout their four years at BC and pursue a Perspectives concentration or major.
Braman developed the Perspectives Living and Learning Community on Newton Campus, which sought to bridge the gap between what the students learn in the classroom and how they live their lives outside of the classroom. Its goal, said Braman, was to increase the possibility of real friendships, friendships organized around questions about “the one thing needful” for a truly meaningful life.
“To say I am humbled by this award is an understatement,” said Braman. “This award was made possible because of the students who blessed my classroom with their intelligence, honesty, and desire to learn. My job was made easier because the students made it easier.”
Said one student nominator: “Brian Braman is not only a fantastic professor with immense knowledge of philosophy in all its iterations, but his care for his students is immeasurable. He is brilliant, irreverent, and challenges his students to work hard and become the best versions of themselves.”
Another student wrote: “Professor Braman has single-handedly changed my life. He has made me fall in love with learning, with the relentless desire to know more. My intellectual curiosity is fueled by his teaching. He is able to cultivate an unmatched community filled with students who have a genuine enthusiasm and interest in learning. I would not be the person I am, the student I am, if it weren't for Professor Braman.”
Beyond challenging students on an intellectual level, Braman was praised for his mentorship and his devotion to students.
“Rarely has there been a professor who cares so deeply for his students,” a nominator contributed. “This is even true of students who are now seniors whom he hasn't seen since their freshman year. He is the kind of man who would take a phone call at 10 p.m. because he knew you wouldn't be calling if it weren't important. He truly embodies the excellence expected of PBK, and I can think of no one more deserving of this award.”
Said another PBK student of Braman: “He works not only on improving our academics, but in helping us think about bigger questions and being the best people we can be.”
Added another student, he is “an incredibly supportive and invested mentor” who “loves his students in a way that truly transforms lives.”
Braman has been previously recognized for his commitment to BC students, earning a Boston College Excellence in Teaching Award (1993-94) and the 2005 Mary Kaye Waldron Award.