Ethics Institute Receives Prestigious Award

October 28, 2010 – The American Society for Bioethics and Humanities (ASBH) has honored Georgetown’s Kennedy Institute for Ethics with its Cornerstone Award for the institute’s work in shaping the direction of bioethics and medical humanities.

“The recognition from our peers … re-energizes us as we begin planning for our next 40,” said director and associate professor of philosophy Maggie Little.

The institute has been fundamental in advancing the field over the past four decades, serving as a gathering place for thoughtful discourse and events as well as housing a comprehensive collection of scholarly research. It also has a top-ranked graduate program and faculty members who are prominent in the field.

Little says the institute’s Bioethics Research Library is a “treasured resource” for the medical community.

The ASBH, which promotes ethics in healthcare and medicine, presented the award to the institute at its annual meeting on Oct. 23.

The director traveled to San Diego for the awards ceremony with Doris Goldstein, director of the institute’s bioethics library; Tom Beauchamp, philosophy professor and a senior scholar at the institute; and Laura Bishop, program coordinator.

“It was so gratifying and delightful to see so many people who’ve been friends of the institute, both current colleagues and former partners,” Little said.

ASBH executive director Chris Welber said the committee got multiple award nominations for the Kennedy Institute.

“It stood out to the committee,” he said. “The Kennedy Institute is recognized as a leading institute within this field and the board and the award committee felt that this was some long overdue recognition for their effort.