Undergraduate Spotlight: Willoughby J. Winograd

Photo of Willoughby J. Winograd

The Bay Area is the birthplace of the modern environmental conservation movement. The natural beauty of the region is, in large part, the direct legacy of the first generation of environmental stewards, such legendary names as John Muir, Joaquin Miller, and, of course, Leland and Jane Stanford. But what the movement has become in their absence would confuse and horrify them. In his Ethics in Society Honors Thesis, “Embracing the Anthropocene,” Willoughby J. Winograd examines the shortcomings of contemporary environmental conservation practice and ethics. Winograd graduates with a bachelor’s degree in Political Science and will be working as a Business Analyst in the San Francisco office of McKinsey & Company this fall, before returning to Stanford Law School to pursue his Juris Doctor (JD) degree. Prior to graduation, we asked Winograd about his journey as one of our honors students.

Why did you choose to participate in the Honors Program in Ethics in Society? 

I joined the Honors Program in Ethics in Society because I knew it would provide me with an opportunity to conduct in-depth empirical and historical research about this issue. I had long wanted to write about the flawed ethics and practice of environmental conservation and provide a new goal for the conservation movement that is guided by science and ethics.

What was the most rewarding aspect of your experience in the Honors Program? 

The most rewarding aspect of my experience in the Honors Program was getting to refine my research with thoughtful, creative, open but discerning minds at Stanford.

In a few sentences, describe your honors thesis research. 

My thesis explains the flawed ethics of contemporary environmental conservation. It does so by tracing the evolving goal of the conservation movement from active wilding to ecological restoration. It demonstrates how key scientific ideas employed by conservation — such as the native versus non-native dichotomy — are empirically and ethically flawed. Further, the underlying moral philosophy of conservation is logically incoherent — namely, the focus on ecosystems over individuals. My thesis concludes by proposing a new philosophy for conservation centered around the welfare of humans and animals and discusses some of the implications of this new perspective in terms of conservation goals and policy.

What opportunities would you like to pursue within the next five years? 

Within the next five years, I intend to gain experience in the private and public sectors, learning how real change is made in the world. I will pursue my JD degree and use it, along with my practical experience, to launch new ventures to improve the environment and the world for both humans and animals.

 


Carly Chillmon is the Communications Director at the McCoy Family Center for Ethics in Society. Donna Hunter is a freelance writer, editor, and tutor living in San Francisco. She has a Ph.D. in English from UC Berkeley and was an Advanced Lecturer in Stanford’s Program in Writing and Rhetoric.