College of Arts and Sciences Newsroom

By Devin Chivers ’27

When Matthew Dawson started his freshman year as a computer science major at the University of Dayton, he expected to dive into coding and algorithms. Instead, he found himself wrestling with a 1,600-year-old philosophical puzzle about good and evil — and winning a $750 research award in the process.

Dawson is one of six UD students who received the 2025 Fr. Jack McGrath, S.M., Award for Research in Catholic Intellectual Traditions. Their innovative projects show how students can connect ancient wisdom with modern questions across fields ranging from biology to Spanish literature.

“One of the things that is really interesting to me is the way students come at these things from all sorts of different angles,” said Timothy Gabrielli, Gudorf Chair in Catholic Intellectual Traditions and associate professor of theology in UD's Department of Religious Studies. “It becomes more about the sorts of questions one pays attention to. With Catholic Intellectual Traditions, those questions are never out of bounds.”

The McGrath Award, named in honor of Fr. Jack McGrath (1935-2015), is sponsored by the Gudorf Chair in Catholic Intellectual Traditions.

The 2025 awardees:

• Sam Smith, a junior education, German and history major from Cincinnati, examined the ideological roots of the Holocaust.
• Brooke Hartzell, a junior pre-medicine major from St. Charles, Illinois, studied medieval philosophy and theories of knowledge.
• Sandra Todd, a senior Spanish major from Columbus, Ohio, explored liberation theology in Latin American communities.
• Matthew Dawson, a first-year computer science major from Gahanna, Ohio, tackled Augustine’s response to the problem of evil.
• Estella Elpers, a first-year biology major from Cincinnati, analyzed Jane Goodall’s integration of science and spirituality.
• Mason Hennessy, a sophomore communication and theology major from Arlington, Virginia, researched faith and hunger.

Hartzell said her research shaped her approach to learning, highlighting both independent study and collaboration.

“Catholic Intellectual Traditions has confirmed my belief that intellectual pursuit should ultimately serve the greater good,” she said. “This experience allowed me to recognize that true intellectual growth emerges from embracing both pathways.”

Hartzell's research examined the concept of active intellect in medieval philosophy, focusing on the perspectives of Avicenna and Thomas Aquinas. She sought to evaluate the philosophical strength of their arguments and address broader questions about how humans acquire and process knowledge.

Hennessy said he feels honored to be acknowledged alongside a remarkable group of theological works and the study of theology under Catholic Intellectual Traditions principles has helped him see a larger purpose.

“Catholic Intellectual Traditions has brought me to a better, zoomed-out understanding of the purpose of studying and writing theology in the first place: to help others comprehend God’s love for them,” he said.

Hennessy’s research aimed to explore profound questions, such as who God is and what is meant by “neighbor,” while approaching them in a meaningful way.

The award also emphasizes the role of CAP courses in deepening students’ engagement with Catholic Intellectual Traditions.

“CAP, at its best, expresses the fundamental ideas of Catholic Intellectual Traditions: that faith and reason aren’t opposites, but different ways of knowing that can be compatible,” Gabrielli said. “The University is not just a training ground for professions; it helps students become the best version of themselves overall.”

The McGrath Award embodies the University’s commitment to integrating faith and reason, where students engage deeply with intellectual traditions that shape not only their academic growth but also their understanding of the common good.

Gabrielli said Fr. Jack McGrath was always thinking about the undergraduate experience of education as an encounter with the larger Catholic Marianist tradition of the community.

“The award is connected to the things he saw as important —  the interconnections of disciplines and engaging with sources in Catholic Intellectual Traditions in fresh ways,” he said. “I think he was very dedicated to that, and I hope the award reflects that as well.”

Top photo: Matthew Dawson receives his McGrath Award from Tim Gabrielli.