Zoe Simmons, a rising senior in UGA’s Franklin College of Arts and Sciences and Morehead Honors College, has received the Horace B. Russell Prize from the Department of Philosophy for excellence in undergraduate ethics writing.

The Horace B. Russell Prize is awarded annually for the best undergraduate ethics paper written for a philosophy course during the previous calendar year.

Simmons is majoring in philosophy and religion and pursuing minors in jurisprudence, political science, law, ethics, and philosophy. On campus, she serves on the University Judiciary and works with the Undergraduate Law Review. She also works for a criminal defense attorney in her hometown of Gainesville, Georgia.

The award recognized Simmons’ essay, “Evaluating the Legal Permissibility of Physician-Assisted Suicide,” which she wrote for a biomedical ethics course taught by Melissa Fahmy.

“I am honored to receive this prize, and I am very thankful to the philosophy department, including my professors and mentor—Melissa Fahmy, Thanassis Samaras, and department head Aaron Meskin—for this opportunity,” Simmons said. “Biomedical ethics has been one of my favorite courses during my academic career at UGA.”

In addition to the Horace B. Russell Prize, Simmons also received the William T. Blackstone Honors Philosophy Scholarship, an annual award presented to an honors student who demonstrates academic excellence and a strong interest in philosophy.

“I have had Zoe in my ethics courses for the past three semesters,” Fahmy said. “She is an extremely bright student, and it has been a pleasure to watch her get better and better at employing normative concepts, evaluating moral arguments, and asking pertinent questions.”

This summer, Simmons will intern in Savannah through the UGA Honors Program Honors in Savannah program. She plans to apply to law school during the Fall 2026 admissions cycle and hopes to pursue a career in criminal law.