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University of Portland bioethics team wins national competition

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Philosophy

April 21, 2017

2017 UP bioethics teamThe University of Portland bioethics team won the 2017 Bioethics Bowl by defeating Georgetown University in the finals on April 8 in Ogden, Utah. In only the second year competing, the UP team was undefeated in the Bioethics Bowl.

The competition drew 17 teams from around the country to debate a wide array of bioethical issues, including the ethics of international vaccine programs, clinical weight management, complex end-of-life care in the absence of surrogate decision-makers, and HIV disclosure policies. The UP team faced groups from the University of Miami, Macalester College, Weber State, and the University of Alabama Birmingham.

The University team was comprised of students from various majors including biology, chemistry, philosophy, nursing, computer science, math, and sociology. The UP bioethics team  includes team captain Elisa Reverman ’17, Savannah Collas ’17, Carolyn Lutzenhiser ’17, Owen Price ’19, and Kit Tobin ’19. Paddy McShane, assistant professor of philosophy, coached the bioethics team and student Morgan Wilhelmi ’19 helped the team prepare for the debates.

“During competition the team did an excellent job of doing philosophy and of representing UP,” McShane said. “They were models of collegiality, intellectual rigor, and moral sensitivity.”