RESOURCES AND OPPORTUNITIES
The John T. McLaughlin, M.D., Undergraduate Fellowships in Ethics
A gift from John T. McLaughlin, M.D., a 1937 graduate of the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences at Villanova University, makes possible two undergraduate fellowships each year. These fellows will create space for ethics discussions on campus by a variety of creative and innovative means. Fellowships are awarded late in the spring semester each year. The fellowship runs for the duration of the fiscal year after the award (June 1 through the following academic year). All fellowship activities will take place during this time.
2025-26 Undergraduate Fellows:
Joyce Ahn
Language barriers can significantly affect the accuracy and efficiency of healthcare for non-English speakers in the United States. This project seeks to identify and address these disparities and raise awareness within the Villanova University community through discussion panels, language workshops, and informational brochures. It will highlight how language-related challenges are a prominent issue in healthcare and explore practical solutions to support affected groups.
Samantha Grubb
“What is Health? The Ethical Challenges of Medical Misinformation on Social Media and Its Impact on College Students,” examines how online health content shapes student decisions about diet, exercise, body image, while also assessing its impact on mental health. Through campus-wide surveys and educational events, the project aims to strengthen media literacy and promote healthier, lifestyle choices and highlight the ethical responsibility of social media platforms and individuals on sharing accurate health information.
James Schmidt:
What if the walls of a city could speak?
This project explores that question by bringing the stories behind Philadelphia's most iconic murals to Villanova's campus. Through artist visits, interviews, and opportunities for personal art creation, students are invited to reflect on how public art continues to ignite change by visualizing the struggles and resilience of Philadelphia's underserved communities.
Details regarding the Fellowships and application instructions can be found in Current Student Resources.
For more information please email: EthicsFellows@villanova.edu
Association for Practical and Professional Ethics Intercollegiate Ethics Bowl®
Since 2000, the Villanova Ethics Program sponsors a team consisting of five undergraduate students to prepare, travel, and compete in the Association for Practical and Professional Ethics Intercollegiate Ethics Bowl®. This event has regional and national competitions featuring the examination of ethics cases often pulled from the news headlines. It is not a debate, where each side takes opposing views. The goal of the APPE IEB® is to advance the capacity of students to examine difficult moral issues constructively and respectfully. The national competition, which draws together the top 36 teams from the regional rounds, is held in conjunction with the annual meeting of the Association for Practical and Professional Ethics.
Our teams often do very well in these competitions—often making it to the final rounds in the national competition. Students interested in joining a team should send their name, year, major (or possible major), along with a statement of interest by email, to Mark Wilson, PhD. Applicants are encouraged to include information about their coursework and background in ethics, along with any questions about the Ethics Bowl team that they may have.
College and University Resources
In addition to resources and opportunities through the Ethics Program, Villanova provides support to undergraduate students in all aspects of their collegiate experience and beyond through the centralized services of the Office for Undergraduate Students, Office of Education Abroad and Career Center.
