The participants' evaluations were overwhelmingly positive, with respondents giving the Institute an overall grade of A (3.7 points out of a total of 4.0). Representative comments included:
"outstanding job . . ."
‚ Dr. Colin Scanes, Executive Associate Dean, College of
Agriculture
" . . . a week very well spent . . . We should be proud that ISU
is taking a national ledership role in faculty development and the
teaching of life science ethics."
‚ Professor Gary Atchison, Animal Ecology
"I feel as though I now understand the issues as others see them
and can converse intelligently in campus wide debates dealing with
genetics, biotechnology, and animal rights."
‚ Professor Stephen Aigner, Sociology
This year¼s Institute was unusual in the depth of the presentations and discussions, the overall sense of collegiality, and the enthusiasm of the participants. It was supported by the ISU Graduate College, Biotechnology Program, Center for Teaching Excellence, and the Colleges of Agriculture, Veterinary Medicine, and Liberal Arts and Sciences.
A fifth Institute will be held in Ames from May 29 to June 3, 1999 (see "Call for Applications," on p. 12). This Institute, sponsored by a major grant from the National Science Foundation, will be open to ISU and non-ISU life science faculty members.
A list of the 1998 participants, speakers, and topics follows.
1998 ISU Bioethics Institute Participants:
Steve Aigner
Sociology
Jean Anderson
Food Science/Human Nutr
Gary Atchison
An Ecol
Chris Baldwin
Chem Eng
Bryony Bonning
Entomology
Clark Ford
Food Science/Human Nutr
Stephen Ford
Animal Science
Richard Gladon
Horticulture
Carole Heath
Chem Eng
Norma Hirsch
Heartland Bioethics Center
Des Moines, IA.
Monica Howard
Vet Med
Kendall Lamkey
Agronomy
Don Lay
Animal Science
Ruth Litchfield
Food Science/HumNut
Surya Mallapragada
Chemical Engineering
Duane Mangold
Ag Bio Eng
Gavin Naylor
Zoo/Gen
Steven Padgitt
Sociology
Tom Peterson
Zoo/Gen
Colin Scanes
Ag Admin
Jenni Stacy
Food Science/HumNut
John Thomson
Vet Clinical Sciences
David Vleck
Zoo/Gen
Loren Will
Vet Med/Microbiol/Immunology & Preventive Medicine
1998 ISU Bioethics Institute Speakers and Topics:
Pedagogy: How to help science students become active learners
Dr. Craig Nelson, Biology, Indiana University
An introduction to ethics
Dr. Margaret Holmgren, Iowa State University
How I incorporated ethics into my courses after the Institute
Dr. Cheryll Reitmeier, Food Science and Human Nutrition, Iowa
State
Professional ethics
Dr. Charlotte Bronson, Plant Pathology, Iowa State
Genetic manipulation of animals
Dr. Gary Varner, Philosophy, Texas A&M University
Pedagogy: How to write case studies to incorporate ethics into
life science classes
Dr. Gary Comstock, Iowa State
Ethics and religion
Dr. Gary Comstock, Religious Studies, Iowa State
Intellectual property rights and biotechnology
Dr. Michele Svatos, Philosophy, Iowa State
Global justice and biotechnology
Dr. Tony Smith, Philosophy, Iowa State
Report on the 1998 Purdue Bioethics Institute
Purdue University sponsored its third Bioethics Institute from May 17 to May 22, 1998. Thirteen Purdue faculty members participated. The Institute was directed by Professor Lilly-Marlene Russow, with assistance from Professors Martin Curd and Michael Gill, and graduate assistant Debra Jackson, all members of the Purdue Philosophy Department. Gary Comstock (Philosophy and Religious Studies Department, Iowa State University) acted as consultant. The Institute was supported by a grant from the National Science Foundation.
The thirteen participants in the 1998 workshop join nineteen participants from the 1997 Institute, and twenty five participants from the 1996 Institute, to make a combined total of fifty-seven Purdue life scientists now working to weave discussions of ethics into the Purdue science curriculum.
Participants' evaluations were positive.
"You created a very comfortable learning environment . . . Thank
you. I wish you much success."
Professor Ron Hullinger, College of Veterinary, Medicine
"I felt [before the workshop] I needed a much better understanding of ethical theory, some examples of how bioethics has been used in courses, and encouragement that this is not a crazy thing to be doing. All of these were provided."
" . . well worthwhile . . . broadened my perspectives tremendously."
"supplied more than I expected . . . "
The majority of the grades for the Institute were A . There were a few B+s. The lowest grade was one B.
A list of the 1998 participants, speakers, and topics follows.
1998 Purdue Bioethics Institute Participants:
Seetha Burnter
Philosophy
John deMoulpied
Philosophy
David Eichinger
Biology/Curric & Instruction
Debra Jackson
Philosophy
Jane Frankenberger
ABE
Ron Hullinger
Basic Medicine
Edna Loehman
Agricultural Economics
Cyndi Lynch
Animal Science
Julie Morrow-Tesch
Animal Science
Don Paarlberg
Agricultural Economics
Margaret Shea-Moore
Animal Science
Ruth Wukasch
Nursing
Alan York
Entomology
1998 Purdue Bioethics Institute Topics and Speakers:
How I incorporated ethics into my courses
James Vorst, Agronomy, Purdue
What is ethics?
Martin Benjamin, Philosophy, Michigan State
Ethics and animals
Gary Varner, Philosophy, Texas A&M
An introduction to ethical theory
Michael Gill, Philosophy, Purdue
Teaching ethics in science courses
Barny Dunning and Julie Gionfriddo, Purdue
Environemental Ethics
Lilly-Marlene Russow, Philosophy, Purdue
Ethics and religion
Gary Comstock, Religious Studies, Iowa State
Food and world hunger
Will Aiken, Philosophy, Chatham College
Water, soil, and manure
Paul Thompson, Philosophy, Purdue
Hormonal Chaos: The controversy over endocrine disrupting
chemicals in the environment
Sheldon Krimsky, Tufts
Critical thinking and moral reasoning
Lilly-Marlene Russow, Purdue University
Ethics and biology
Martin Curd, Philosophy, Purdue
Report on the 1998 NABC Bioethics Institute at NCSU
Last summer, the National Agricultural Biotechnology Council sponsored an Iowa State University Model Bioethics Institute at North Carolina State University. The dates were May 23-28, 1998. The goal of the Institute was to assist life science faculty members to integrate discussions of ethics into existing science courses.
More than seventy faculty members from universities around the world applied for admittance. The application committee was instructed to accept no more than thirty. Of those accepted, twenty-eight completed the forty-hour workshop. Ten participants were NC State faculty; eighteen others were from institutions of higher learning across the United States and elsewhere, including two participants from the University of Sydney, Australia. It was truly a global conference, co-directed by two North Carolina State philosophers, Drs. Tom Regan and Tim Hinton, with Professor Gary Comstock of Iowa State serving as consultant.
The participants's evaluations were overwhelmingly positive, with respondents giving the Institute an overall grade of A (3.8 points out of a total of 4.0). Representative comments included:
"A life-changing experience . . . should receive the highest
priority for all life scientists to provide them a firm ethical basis
for their research . . . No other program that I know of can
accomplish this goal."
‚ Dr. Chuck Curtis, Plant Pathology, Ohio State
"Very successful in presenting ethical issues and principles . . .
very worthwhile; the NABC should be applauded . . . I will recommend
that my colleagues apply for future Bioethics Institutes . . . "
‚ Dr. Paul Dawson, Food Science & Human Nutrition, Clemson
University
"Provided excellent background . . . was thoroughly organized and
artfully handled . . . I would recommend this Institute to any of my
colleagues."
‚ Dr. Vivian Haley-Zitlin, Food Science & Human Nutrition,
Clemson
The Institute was supported by a major grant from NABC, and by the NCSU Biotechnology Program and the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.
The second NABC Institute at NCSU will be held in Raleigh from May 22 to 27, 1999 (see accompanying article, on p. 12). This Institute will also be open to any tenured or tenure-track life science faculty member.
A list of the 1998 participants, speakers, and topics follows.
1998 NABC Bioethics Institute Participants:
NCSU Participants
Glen W. Almond
Veterinary Medicine
Mary E. Barbercheck
Entomology
O. W. Barnett
Plant Pathology
David G. Bristol
Veterinary Medicine
Jim D. Burton
Horticulture
Stephanie E. Curtis
Genetics
Bruce Hammerberg
Pathology & Parasitology
Gerald Huntington
Animal Science
Gerry H. Luginbuhl
Microbiology
James W. Moyer
Plant Pathology
Non-NCSU Participants
Larry Bauer
Agricultural and Applied Economics, Clemson
Dale M. Benham
Biology, Nebraska Wesleyan
William E. Boernke
Biology, Nebraska Wesleyan
Wayne L. Bryden
Animal Science, University of Sydney
Charles R. Curtis
Plant Pathology, The Ohio State University
Paul L. Dawson
Food Science, Clemson University
Emily Deaver
Environmental Biology, Chowan College
Richard Demaree
Biological Sciences, California State University, Chico
Nancy H. Ferguson
Agronomy, Clemson
Vivian Haley-Zitlin
Food Science, Clemson
Robert D. Hall
Entomology, University of Missouri
Leland L. Hardman
Agronomy & Plant Genetics, University of Minnesota
Dick McNeil
Natural Resources,Cornell University
Chris Moran
Animal Science,University of Sydney
Louis Pojman
Philosophy, US Military Academy
M. Elaine Richardson
Animal & Veterinary Sciences, Clemson University
Keith A. Schimmel
Chemical Engineering, NC AT&T University
Robert R. Zall
Food Science, Cornell University
1998 NABC Bioethics Institute Speakers and Topics:
What is ethics?
Dr. Tom Regan, Philosophy, North Carolina State
Pedagogy: Adopting your classroom style to help science students
be more active learners
Dr. Richard Felder, Chemical Engineering, North Carolina State
University
How I incorporated ethics into my courses after the Institute
Dr. Steven L. Davis, Animal Science, Oregon State
An introduction to ethical theory
Dr. Tim Hinton, Philosophy, North Carolina State
Genetic manipulation of plants and animals
Dr. Gary Varner, Philosophy, Texas A&M University
Agriculture, Ethics and the Environment: A new NCSU course using
information from the Bioethics Institute
Dr. Jean Ristaino, Plant Pathology, North Carolina State
University
Justice and conflict resolution
Dr. David Schmidtz, Philosophy, University of Arizona
Pedagogy: How to write case studies to incorporate ethics into
life science classes
Dr. Gary Comstock, Bioethics Program, Iowa State
Science and values
Dr. Geoff Sayre-McCord, Philosophy, U. North Carolina, Chapel
Hill
Ethics and religion
Dr. Gary Comstock, Religious Studies, Iowa State
A full slate of follow-up activities is underway, including: (1) A report to NABC by Comstock at NABC¼s annual meeting in May, 1998; (2) a reunion meeting for all NCSU Institute participants in Fall 1998, (3) a second reunion meeting for all NCSU participants in Spring 1999, (4) enhancement of a Web Page for the Bioethics Institute, (5) publication of selected case studies developed at the Institute in this newsletter, (6) recruitment and preparation for the 1999 Institute.
Report on the 1998 National Bioethics Institute at Oregon State University
The National Bioethics Institute was held at Oregon State University from Aug. 1-6, 1998, with eighteen participants from Oregon State University, and nineteen from off-campus. The Institute instruction involved a mix of ethical theory, teaching strategies and resources, and preparation of case studies, in order to provide the faculty with some materials they could incorporate into their life science classes. Dr. Courtney Campbell directed the Institute. Gary Comstock acted as consultant.
Dr. Campbell was so impressed with the nature of the case studies the participants developed for the final day of presentation, as well as the collegial spirit in which they went about their work, that he decided to devote an issue of the OSU ethics program newsletter, Reflections, to publication of the case studies and some of the teaching methods the faculty utilized in their presentations. The newsletter is available from OSU.
The participants were asked to evaluate the Institute, on an A (excellent) to F (poor, failure) scale, as well as to evaluate the individual speakers. The grade evaluation of the Institute averaged at an "A-" level. Several of the non-OSU faculty reported that they have already begun to use the case studies and/or methods in their classes this fall. Three of the participants thought highly enough of the Institute to send a letter to the main sponsor, the National Science Foundation.
Other responses included:
"WOW! Great workshop. I came in knowing very little about moral
philosophy and left with enough background and confidence to
incorporate ethical discussions in my soils class."
‚ Professor Jim Doolittle, Plant Science Department South Dakota
State
"It was great fun and I thoroughly enjoyed it. But it was more
than intellectual 'fun' ãit challenged me and has given me
much more confidence to press on with the small tentative steps that
I have already started."
‚ Professor Douglas Vincent, Chair of the Department of Animal
Sciences, University of Hawaii at Manoa
"Provided me with exactly the kind of guidance I was looking for .
. . . The teaching was uniformly excellent, and the faculty were
without exception approachable, patient and appropriately critical. I
returned to work feeling renewed and inspired."
‚ Dr. James Serpell, Marie A. Moore Chair of Human Ethics and Animal
Welfare University of Pennsylvania
"I attended a Bioethics Institute in 1995 and my life has been
changed ever since. Both personally and professionally, the Institute
helped me to see things in a whole different perspective."
‚ Professor Stephen L. Davis, Chair of the Animal Science Department,
Oregon State
A list of the 1998 participants, speakers, and topics follows.
1998 OSU Bioethics Institute Participants:
OSU Participants
Michelle Bothwell
Biological Engineering
Philip Brownell
Zoology
Brad Cardinal
Health and Human Performance
Jean Hall
Veterinary Medicine
Joe McGuire
Biological Engineering
Michael Mix
Zoology/Biology
Jill Parker
Veterinary Medicine
R. Bruce Rettig
Ag and Resource Economics
Paul Roberts
Zoology
Annette Rossignol
Public Health
Philippe Rossignol
Entomology
Carl Schreck
Fisheries and Wildlife
Barbara Smith
Lab Animal Resources
Lloyd Swanson
Ag Sciences
Karen Timm
Veterinary Medicine
Ray William
Horticulture
Terry Wood
Health and Human Performance
Joan Woolfrey
Philosophy
Non-OSU Participants
Ramble Ankumah
Ag Sci, Tuskegee
James Doolittle
Soil Biochem, So. Dakota State
Donald Eckert
Soil Sci, Ohio State
Manuel Pedro Fevereiro
Plant Bio, Lisbon
Charles Kinoshita
Bio Eng, Hawaii
Hillar Klandorf
An and Vet. Sci, W. Virginia
Jorge Marques da Silva
Plant Bio, Lisbon
Lynette Padmore
Biology, Florida A&M
Frank Percival
Biology, Westmont
Connie Price
Philosophy, Tuskegee
Humberto Rosa
Zoology, U. of Lisbon
James Serpell
Vet Med, U. of Penn
Chris Skaggs
An Sci, Texas A&M
Nadarajah Sriskandarajah
Farming Systems, U. Western Sydney
Nancy Stanton
Zoology, Wyoming
Wm. Steinhart
Biochem, Bowdoin
Douglas Vincent
An Sci, Hawaii
Grace Wang
Forestry, Penn State
Zeno Wicks
Plant Sci, So. Dakota State
1998 OSU Bioethics Institute Speakers and Topics
Introduction to ethics: Theories and reasoning
Dr. Peter List, Philosophy, Oregon State
Purposes and methods of ethics instruction
Dr. Courtney Campbell, Philosophy, Oregon State
How to help science students become active learners
Dr. Barbara Licklider, Iowa State
Ethics and science
Dr. Gary Comstock, Religious Studies, Iowa State
Animals and ethics
Dr. Gary Varner, Philosophy Department, Texas A&M
Reconceiving research ethics
Dr. Michael Flower, Biology Department, Portland State
Ethics and religion
Dr. Gary Comstock, Religious Studies Program, Iowa State
How I incorporated ethics into my courses after the Institute
Dr. Steven Davis, Animal Science, Oregon State
Ethics and natural resources
Dr. Peter List, Philosophy, Oregon State
Environmental ethics
Dr. Kathryn George, Philosophy, University of Idaho
Experts and advocates
Dr. Kathleen Moore, Philosophy, Oregon State University
How to write case studies to introduce ethics into life science
courses
Dr. Gary Comstock, Iowa State University
Sustainability and biological resources
Dr. Bryan Norton, Georgia Institute of Technology
Biotechnology and intellectual property
Dr. Paul Thompson, Philosophy, Purdue University
Call for Applications
Stipends up to $1400
Applications are invited for two National Bioethics Institutes to be held in May of 1999. The Institutes are faculty development workshops designed to assist university instructors in the life sciences in integrating discussions of ethical issues into existing science courses. The Institutes are part of the "Iowa State University Model" Bioethics Institute series reported in this Forum, and they focus on ethical theory, moral decision making, and pedagogy. Particular attention is paid to moral issues of relevance to agronomy, animal science, biology, biochemistry, agricultural biotechnology, botany, entomology, environmental studies, food science, forestry, genetics, veterinary medicine, and zoology. Participants from around the world are eligible to apply. Participants are asked to read a book on ethical theory in preparation for the conference.
Each participant in the Institute at Iowa State University will receive a stipend of $500, plus books, case studies, classroom exercises, and bibliographies. Participants not from ISU receive, in addition, a $900 travel and living expense allowance.
Applicants must be tenured or tenure-track life science faculty members committed to serious study of moral philosophy. Teams of applicants from a single institution are encouraged. We especially encourage applications from women, ethnic minorities, and faculty at institutions historically serving minorities. Deadline for applications is March 1, 1999, with preference given to those received by February 1, 1999. Late applications will be considered if space is available.
For more info and an application form for the Iowa State University Institute, point your web browser to:
http://grad.admin.iastate.edu/bioethics/
Or contact Brad Perri, 402 Catt Hall, Iowa State University, Ames, IA. 50011; phone: (515) 294-5400; email: bioethics@iastate.edu
For more info and an application form for the North Carolina State Institute, point your web browser to:
http://www.cals.cornell.edu/extension/nabc/webbioinstitute.html
Or contact Jane Segelken, NABC, 419 Boyce Thompson Institute, Tower Road, Ithaca, NY 14853. email: nabc@cornell.edu; phone: (607) 254-4856; fax: (607) 254-1242.
Speakers and Topics: 1999 NSF/ISU Bioethics Institute
Helping students become active learners
Dr. Karl Smith, Civil Engineering, University of Minnesota
An introduction to ethics
Dr. Michele Svatos, Philosophy, Iowa State
How I incorporated ethics into my courses
Dr. Debbie Cherney, Animal Science, Cornell University
Biomedical issues
Dr. Glenn McGee, Center for Bioethics, University of Pennsylvania
Purposes and methods of ethics instruction
Dr. Courtney Campbell, Philosophy, Oregon State
Ethics and animals
Dr. Gary Varner, Philosophy, Texas A&M
An introduction to ethical theory
Dr. Michele Svatos, Philosophy, Iowa State
Ethics and science
Dr. Gary Comstock, Iowa State
How I incorporated ethics into my courses
Dr. Nancy Ferguson, Agronomy, Clemson
Writing ethics case studies
Dr. Gary Comstock
Ethics and religion
Dr. Gary Comstock
Genetic engineering and global justice
Dr. Allen Buchanan, Philosophy, University of Arizona
Speakers and Topics: 1999 NABC/NCSU Institute
Pedagogy: Adopting your classroom style to help science students
be more active learners
Dr. Ron Miller, Chemical Engineering, Colorado Schoo of Mines
What is ethics?
Dr. Tim Hinton, Philosophy, North Carolina State
How I incorporated ethics into my courses after the Institute
Dr. Steven L. Davis, Animal Science, Oregon State
An introduction to ethical theory
Dr. Tim Hinton, Philosophy, North Carolina State
How I incorporated ethics into my courses after the Institute
Dr. Gerry Luginbuhl, Microbiology, North Carolina State
Ethics and animals
Dr. Tom Regan, Philosophy, North Carolina State
Ethics and science
Dr. Gary Comstock, Iowa State University
Genetic engineering and global justice
Dr. Allen Buchanan, Philosophy, University of Arizona
Ethics and religion
Dr. Tom Regan, Philosophy, North Carolina State
Ethics and compromise
Dr. Martin Benjamin, Philosophy, Michigan State
Pedagogy: How to write case studies to incorporate ethics into
life science classes
Dr. Gary Comstock, Bioethics Program, Iowa State