Cheryl Foster, a professor of philosophy at the University of Rhode Island, is one of this year’s winners of The Kennedy Center/Stephen Sondheim Inspirational Teacher Awards. The awards are given out in March on the birthday of Stephen Sondheim. The awards were established in 2010 and funded through the support of Freddie and Myrna Gershon. Each winner receives a $10,000 cash prize in appreciation for their contributions to teaching. Teachers are nominated by their students.
Professor Foster was nominated by a former student who graduated in 2000. Professor Foster has taught at the University of Rhode Island since 1992. Earlier she taught at the Open University and the University of Edinburgh in the United Kingdom. In addition to her scholarly work in philosophy, Professor Foster is a playwright and a novelist. She holds a Ph.D. from the University of Edinburgh.