Graduate Seminars and Admissions, 1984 - 2015

Throughout Mark Kulstad’s philosophical career he has focused on publications, conferences, talks, and his teaching. The collection as a whole displays his cohesive contributions to the academic community at both Rice University and The University of Michigan. His research on Leibniz, Spinoza, and Descartes is displayed throughout the entirety of the collection, and gives a deeper look into his endeavors in the scholarship of Leibniz. The collection contains extensive information on Kulstad’s involvement in the Leibniz Essay Competition, the Leibniz society and its related conferences, and on his publications on the subject. The collection also has some highlights of photos and his hand written drafts of his research papers. There is also an extensive amount of information about his time at The University of Michigan as a graduate student. The first series of the collection highlights his course notes as well as his academic papers, his search for jobs, and his route to becoming a full professor with tenure. There is also a look into his thesis preparation and is accompanied by his finished thesis. The next section focuses on his involvement at Rice University. Kulstad was very involved at Rice and the collection emphasizes his time as a faculty associate at Hanszen College, his involvement as a graduate admissions advisor, and as a graduate seminar teacher. In Series I Biographical: The series showcases a well rounded representation of Kulstad's course work from his Graduate studies at The University of Michigan. This series includes: class notes, course notebooks, course papers, and his thesis and the accompanying drafts. In Series II Professional Development: The series includes his involvement with committees, as well as the societies and workshops he worked hard to support. There is also an accurate representation of the conferences he attended as well as the lectures he gave. In Series III Graduate Seminars and Admissions: The series highlights the Graduate Seminars Kulstad conducted. There is also coverage of his time as part of the Graduate admissions committee. In Series IV Course Material: This series highlights the classes that Kulstad taught at Rice. The information included includes course outlines, course readings, and course examinations requirements. There is also information about the classes that Kulstad audited. In Series V Research: This series emphasizes Kulstad's research on Spinoza and Leibniz. This section includes readings on these topics as well as comments, information about the grants he applied for and the materials he requested for his research. There is also information about the publishers he was involved with. Series VI Publications: This series focuses on his drafts and publications. Noteworthy publications are Leibniz, animals, and Apperception, as well as Leibniz's Conception of Expression.