Dr. Maggie Little has stepped down from the KIE Directorship after an incredible 9 years in the role. In her time as Director, Dr. Little oversaw a time of transformative development at the KIE, including the launch of the world’s first Introduction to Bioethics MOOC in April 2014; the inauguration of Conversations in Bioethics, an annual campus-wide event focused on a critical issue in bioethics; the deployment of a series of experimental undergraduate courses utilizing project-based learning and design studio methods; and the founding of Ethics Lab. While Dr. Little will be taking a much deserved (and long postponed) sabbatical from her teaching responsibilities this fall, Dr. Little will be continuing her role of Director of Ethics Lab where she will pursue her groundbreaking efforts merging the best of design thinking with deep philosophical methodologies to prepare leaders for the world’s complex moral problems. The KIE wishes to extend heartfelt thanks to Dr. Little for her transformational work and visionary leadership
As Dr. Little’s tenure as Director ends, the Kennedy Institute of Ethics is very pleased to share the news that Senior Research Scholar Dan Sulmasy has been appointed as Acting Director of Kennedy Institute of Ethics. Dr. Sulmasy, the André Hellegers Professor of Biomedical Ethics, is a world-renowned bioethicist, with co-appointments in the Departments of Philosophy and Medicine at Georgetown, and is a Senior Research Scholar at the KIE and a faculty member of the Pellegrino Center for Clinical Bioethics. In his capacity as Acting Director, Dr. Sulmasy will oversee all KIE programs and scholarship, and serve as a vital resource to the university.
Dr. Sulmasy holds a Ph.D in Philosophy from Georgetown University and an M.D from Cornell University. He served on the faculty of Georgetown Medical School from 1991-1998, followed by appointments at New York Medical College and the University of Chicago before being recruited back to Georgetown last year. He has served on numerous governmental advisory committees, most recently the Presidential Commission for the Study of Bioethical Issues from 2010-2017.
Dr. Sulmasy’s leadership skills, lifelong engagement with Georgetown University, and deep connection to the work and legacy of the Kennedy Institute will be of tremendous value to the KIE and the university during this vital period. The KIE is fortunate to have such an exceptional leader take up this role.