Buckley Institute Announces Third Lux et Veritas Faculty Prize
The Buckley Institute is pleased to announce that the winner of the 2024 Lux et Veritas Faculty Prize is Dr. Gregory Collins, lecturer in the Department of Political Science and the Program on Ethics, Politics, and Economics at Yale University. The Lux et Veritas Faculty Prize honors faculty who go above and beyond to stimulate open discussion and debate in the classroom, creating an environment where all perspectives can be heard. Collins was chosen from around 90 nominations submitted by Yale students, faculty, and alumni.
Dr. Collins stood out for his willingness to support open and civil discussion in the classroom even on contentious issues. “Professor Collins has fostered the most open intellectual environment I have experienced in an academic setting at Yale,” one student commented. “From the first class, Professor Collins encourages students not to self-censor and to engage honestly with the course material.”
Collins was specifically cited for encouraging students in his classes to truly engage seriously with ideas they previously opposed. In his classes, he often requires students to take controversial positions in public and historical debates, assigning students to defend positions with which they disagree. “Professor Collins pushed students to set aside their preconceived biases and be open to new ideas,” another student commented. He “asked sharp questions to students who were dismissive of conservative and originalist thinkers.”
Collins impressed his students with his ability to cultivate a classroom environment where students feel comfortable speaking up and sharing their perspectives. “In my four years at Yale, I never felt as free to speak my mind (both generally and when it came to thorny issues) as I did in Professor Collins’ class,” a third student said.
“Professor Collins’ innovation sets a model for other professors who care about increasing intellectual diversity at Yale,” one student concluded.
The Lux et Veritas Faculty Prize
In recognition of his support for open dialogue and debate in the classroom, the Buckley Institute will present Dr. Collins with a memorial plaque and a $10,000 prize during a celebratory event in the fall. The ceremony will feature a discussion with Dr. Collins and reception.
Past winners include Professor Amy Chua and Lecturer Mordechai Levy-Eichel. The Buckley Institute is dedicated to fostering free speech, open debate, and civil discourse on Yale’s campus. The prize encourages Yale faculty to actualize those principles in the classroom, helping students learn through a serious and respectful analysis even of contentious ideas. Click here to learn more about the Lux et Veritas Faculty Prize and watch lectures from the previous years’ winners!
Bio
Gregory M. Collins is a Lecturer in the Program on Ethics, Politics, and Economics and Department of Political Science at Yale University. His first book, Commerce and Manners in Edmund Burke’s Political Economy, examined Edmund Burke’s understanding of the connection between markets and morals. Greg has also published articles on Adam Smith, F.A. Hayek, Frederick Douglass, Eric Voegelin, Leo Strauss, and Britain’s East India Company. His additional writings and book reviews can be found in Modern Age, Law & Liberty, National Affairs, National Review, and University Bookman. Greg’s two current projects are a book manuscript exploring the idea of civil society in early black political thought and an anthology on the intellectual origins of liberalism and conservatism. He was the 2020 winner of the Acton Institute’s Novak Award. Greg lives with his wife and two daughters in central Connecticut and enjoys rooting for Boston professional sports teams and beating his students at pickup basketball.