Brian P. Copenhaver has received the 2024 Constantine Panunzio Distinguished Emeriti Award, presented annually by The University of California to one or more recipients from the UC system. This award acknowledges outstanding scholarly work or educational service by emeriti faculty in the Humanities or Social Sciences since retirement.
Copenhaver was a Distinguished Professor of Philosophy and History at UCLA until his retirement in 2017. Throughout his career, he published over 100 academic works on the philosophy of magic in late medieval and early modern Europe. From 1993 to 2003, he led as the Provost of UCLA’s College of Letters and Sciences, shaping the academic landscape. He also served as the Director of the CMRS Center for Early Global Studies (known then as the Center for Medieval and Renaissance Studies) from 2004 to 2011, furthering the reach of his influence.
During his tenure as Director, UCLA donors Christine and Steven Udvar-Hazy endowed Copenhaver with the Udvar-Hazy Chair of Philosophy and History. After he retired, they named the chair after him due to his exceptional academic work and contributions to the college.
Since his retirement, Copenhaver has produced a vast scholarly output, including six monographs and twelve articles. He also continues teaching at undergraduate and graduate levels and participates in programs and seminars at several universities.
He is considered the leading authority on the history of learned magic and one of the top three experts on Renaissance philosophy worldwide. Recently, he published an important argument about the nature of “modern” philosophy in his upcoming book, Philosophy as Descartes Found It: Theory and Practice (2024).
Please join us in wishing Brian P. Copenhaver a well-deserved congratulations for outstanding service to UCLA since retirement and for serving as a strong example of scholarly and professional achievement.