2008 in Review

Research Ethics

Teaching Research Ethics

Kenneth D. Pimple, Director of Teaching Research Ethics Programs, directs the annual Teaching Research Ethics Workshop (TRE), with Glenda Murray serving as coordinator. The workshop is supported by university sponsors and registration fees. The fifteenth annual program was May 13-16 at the Indiana Memorial Union, with 45 participants (the maximum we accept). See TRE for further information.

ORI Boot Camp

In cooperation with the Office of Research Integrity and Michigan State University, the Poynter Center hosted an ORI Boot Camp April 1-3, 2008 for Research Integrity Officers and university attorneys.

Responsible Conduct of Research Workshops for Postdoctoral Fellows

Ken Pimple led three workshops each semester on the responsible conduct of research. The workshops were for postdoctoral fellows at IU Bloomington.

Lectures and Seminars

Matthew Vandivier Sims Lecture

The Poynter Center coordinates the Matthew Vandivier Sims Memorial Lecture each year. John Arras from the University of Virginia spoke on "Human Rights and Bioethics: Curb Your Enthusiasm." The lecture was audio-streamed by IU and is available at our web site, 2008 Lecture. Professor Arras and Damon Sims also met with students from the Hutton Honors College and Wells Scholars Program. More information about the Sims Lecture is at Sims Lecture.

Health Care Ethics Seminars

The Health Care Ethics Seminars provide interaction between the campus and the community. Robert Crouch, Research Assistant, coordinated the 2008 series. More information about the Healthcare Ethics series is at Healthcare Ethics Seminars.

Co-hosting other lectures

The Ethics, Philosophy and Politics in the Study of Religion Workshop met monthly at the Poynter Center. The group includes a number of Poynter Center staff and students and faculty from Religious Studies and Philosophy.

Mark Crispin Miller, Professor of Media, Culture and Communication at New York University, spoke October 2 on the topic, “Rigged: Election Fraud and Media Coverage, 2000-2008”.

Other Events

Ethics Bowl

The Indiana University Poynter Center Ethics Bowl Team placed first in the Midwest Regional in fall 2007 and competed in the Fourteenth Intercollegiate Ethics Bowl February 2008 in San Antonio, Texas. The competition is held each year in conjunction with the Annual Meeting of the Association for Practical and Professional Ethics. The day-long competition is held as a method of involving students in viewing difficult situations from a variety of ethical perspectives.

In 2006-07 the national competition instituted a regional system. We selected the Ethics Bowl team in the fall so they could compete in Indianapolis in November. Sandra Shapshay from the Philosophy Department, was the faculty sponsor. Robert Crouch, Research Assistant at the Poynter Center, was coach.

In fall 2008 we selected a new team for the 2008-09 competition. Shana Bergen is the coach, and Sandray Shapshay is the faculty sponsor. The team placed second in the regional and will compete in March in Cincinnati, Ohio. See Ethics Bowl for more information.

Undergraduate Research Stipend Program

In 2006 the Poynter Center launched a program to offer up to $200 in research stipend to undergraduates who were addressing theoretical and applied ethics in coursework. We awarded stipends to five students for the 2007-08 year. Each presented a summary of his or her work in spring 2008. For more information on the program, see Research Stipends.

Women’s History Month

The Association for Practical and Professional Ethics

The Poynter Center and the Association continued their close association. See APPE for more information about the Association.

Teaching and Learning

The Poynter Center was featured in the ethics issue of Teaching and Learning, Fall/Winter 2008. See Teaching and Learning to view the publication.

For what's happening in 2009, see Announcements and Public Events 2009.