| Conference Updates: Keynote, Opening Plenary, Submissions in Review If you submitted a proposal to speak at the conference, it is currently undergoing peer review. We will contact you by mid-December. Thanks to all of our reviewers for helping with this important aspect of the conference.
In case you missed it, we recently announced the Keynote speaker for this year's conference: Dr. Pamela Hieronymi. Dr. Hieronymi's keynote address will be titled "Contractualism: A framework for hard ethical questions," and will be held on Friday, March 6, 2026 from 4:15 to 5:30 p.m. We also announced the Opening Plenary, which is titled, "Should I Stay or Should I Go?" and will be held Thursday, March 5, 2026 from 4:30 - 6 p.m. It will address questions such as: What are our obligations to others or ourselves if we find ourselves part of institutions that are acting unjustly? Should we remain within these institutions and strive to enact change from within, or should we leave in protest?
We also announced several pre-conference opportunities, including a Bystander Intervention Training, which is free for members. Learn more about our speakers and pre-conferences and see the conference schedule.
Conference registration for the Online portion, to be held on April 10, 2026, will be announced at a later date. Registration for the in person conference also includes access to the Online conference.
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APPE Board of Directors NominationsLater this month, we will open nominations for the APPE Board of Directors. Board members are elected for a term of four years with the option to stand for re-election to a second four-year term. Candidates must be current APPE members, and if elected, must maintain their APPE membership in good standing throughout the term of their service on the Board. Self-nominations are welcome.
Stay tuned for more details--APPE members will receive a notification when nominations open. |
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APPE Member Spotlight Name: Andrew Brei
Title/Institution: Associate Professor of Philosophy, St. Mary's University
APPE member since: 2013You are hosting the Texas Regional for the Intercollegiate Ethics Bowl (IEB) competition this month, which is one of 14 regionals across the U.S. over the next two months. How long have you been involved in Ethics Bowl and why do you enjoy hosting (it's a lot of work!)? I've been involved with the Ethics Bowl at the regional and national levels since 2010. I've been a coach and an assistant director, and now I'm the director for the Texas Region.
What are the challenges of hosting? The biggest challenge is finding enough volunteers. We've got a core of very dedicated, reliable volunteers...but we always need more. And when someone doesn't show up on competition day and I have to shuffle people around at the last minute, it's really stressful! The next biggest challenge is knowing how many breakfast tacos to order.
Which cases in the past have been the most memorable for you or your students? I recall a case from a few years ago involving a question about the high cost of space exploration. That was a fun one for students to dig into. I tend to enjoy the medical or the environmental cases.
Will we see you at this year's APPE Conference? I love attending the APPE conferences because I get to see friends, enjoy sessions, and get all sorts of new ideas for my teaching and research. But in 2026 I will be on sabbatical. And when the conference takes place, I will be somewhere between Tangier, Morocco and Newcastle, England, reflecting on experiences and writing a book about the philosophy of travel.
We will miss you but that sounds great! What other ethical questions or challenges are you exploring or researching right now? Most recently, I've been thinking about ethical challenges that relate to the profession of engineering. I've co-written a book with Dr. Seppo Ovaska (a retired industrial engineer) entitled Ethics for Engineers: Toward Ethical Behavior Within Engineering Organizations, and it was published at the end of August 2025. I have also been discussing the ways in which video games portray ethical dilemmas and give players the opportunity to work them out in a virtual world. Soon I will be thinking and writing about ethical issues that relate to travel.
What is a hobby or interest outside of work that keeps you inspired? Woodworking! No other pastime has done more to teach me the virtue of patience, to develop my faculty of imagination, and to encourage my creativity. It's so satisfying! |
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Newsy and Noteworthy
Ethics in the News - 8 AI Ethics Trends That Will Redefine Trust And Accountability In 2026 (Forbes)
- Exhibition explores ethics of human archaeology (BBC)
Jobs & Events
Have you seen our job and event emails? Limited free access to post jobs and events of interest in the weekly email (as well as in the Info Hub) is a benefit of membership. If you're a member and would like to submit something for consideration, just login to the Member portal, go to Job & Event Postings and click "add." Non-members can access the jobs and events by creating a login but must pay a fee to list positions and events. Reach out to contact@appe-ethics.org for more info.
We Want to Hear From You! To be featured as a member spotlight or if you have news to share, including books published, send us an email at membernews@appe-ethics.org. |
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Ethics Bowl Case to Consider Shutting Out Le Pen (2025 Intercollegiate Ethics Bowl Regional Competition Case Set) Election Day was just a few days ago in the U.S., and in many Ethics Bowl regional competitions over the next few weeks, college students will be discussing a very timely election-related set of questions in a case that centers on Former French presidential candidate Marine Le Pen.
It begins:
"In many democracies around the world, one might expect—even regrettably—some corruption in their government. From sizable campaign donations, to various in-office scandals, to the revolving door between industry and government, the potential for corruption in a democracy is undeniable. If a political candidate was convicted of a crime, what would be the right way to handle their current or future candidacy? Do certain crimes make more sense in disqualifying candidates?" Read the case (#4) here, then discuss with your friends, family and colleagues. |
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