2025 PPE Outstanding Undergraduate Student Award Winner

The Kellogg Center for Philosophy, Politics, and Economics is proud to feature Delaney Moran, a Spring 2025 PPE graduate, as the 2025 PPE Outstanding Undergraduate Student Award winner.

Delaney, can you tell us a little about yourself, academically?

I am a senior in the class of 2025 receiving a dual degree in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics (PPE) and International Trade & Development, alongside a minor in Spanish. I applied to Virginia Tech as a PPE Major, and as soon as I started to meet the faculty and take major-related courses, I knew it was the major for me. In high school, I took some economics classes and loved them, but I knew that I wanted to major in something more interdisciplinary.

Before my freshman year at Virginia Tech, I remember feeling nervous about the philosophy aspect of the major, because I had no prior experience or knowledge of what these courses would entail. However, in my first semester, I took Morality & Justice and I was able to see just how relevant and useful philosophy could be.

During my sophomore year, I also studied abroad through the Honors College Presidential Global Scholars program, which was by far my favorite semester at Virginia Tech. This experience opened my eyes to so much more than book learnings. I was able to learn about cultures and communities, and the experiences that world travel has to offer.

What has your experience with the PPE program been like, and what are some of your favorite aspects of the program?

I absolutely loved my time in the PPE program. I have participated in different events like the PPE reading group, The Philosophy, Politics, and Economics Review (PPER), the ambassador program, and the lecture series. I joined the reading group my freshman year, and it allowed me to interact with the PPE core faculty outside of the classroom. This helped me to feel comfortable interacting with faculty members and participating in academic conversations throughout my undergraduate career. It taught me that professors want to be approached and participate as scholars in literary debates, and they are willing to help you when there are difficult concepts that you do not understand.

I served as the Editor-in-Chief of the PPER in my junior year, then as Editor Emeritus in my senior year, which taught me about the publication process and the importance of undergraduate voices in research. The PPE Speaker Series really opened my eyes to learn about the types of research that is conducted within the realm of PPE and to learn from others about postgraduate degrees and studies that could be my future direction. As an ambassador, I had the opportunity to go to lunches and dinners with some of the speakers, which was a very fulfilling experience. I  was also able to travel to local high schools to educate incoming freshmen about what PPE is and what this degree program has to offer.

How do you think PPE has set you up for success?

PPE has given me the academic background to comfortably speak on a range of topics, but also to critically think on unencountered topics. PPE teaches students to explore topics through a variety of lenses, which is an invaluable skill in the workforce. In interviews for my internships, and now my career choice, I was often given a case study in which I was asked to provide a solution to a problem. Through the mindset that PPE taught me, I have learned to evaluate the issue from more than just the standard business approach, which is a skill that many interviewers appreciate. In fact, I have never gone through a round of interviews without eventually receiving a job offer, which is something that I do not think I would be able to boast about without the problem-solving abilities that PPE has taught me.

If you could give other students in the program advice, what would it be?

Go to the various events and activities offered by PPE! Especially as an underclassman, interacting with faculty and fellow students can help you to expand your world view. The faculty have so much to offer, but you must be willing to seek them out and be curious! During my freshman year, I spent a lot of time stepping out of my comfort zone and speaking with faculty, which made things easier when I needed help or guidance in the future. The different events hosted by the Kellogg Center provide a safe place to learn and to ask questions without judgment. Additionally, attending speaker series events consistently will orient you to how academic research is conducted and presented, which helped to guide me in my research for my senior capstone project.

Do you have any final words or remarks?

I want to express my gratitude to the Kellogg Center faculty and staff for their support over the past four years.  I am also appreciative of their confidence in awarding me this prize. I am excited to see how the Kellogg Center develops in the future and the new opportunities that it will bring to students. PPE at Virginia Tech gave me the freedom and the tools that I needed to grow academically, professionally, and personally. I hope that other students will benefit from the same opportunities!

(Photo provided by Delaney Moran, taken by Zachary Stotz – used with permission)