The Dundon-Berchtold Institute funds teams of faculty and students to conduct projects and curriculum fellowships focused on the application of ethics within and across academic and professional fields. In addition to fostering the vibrant learning experience of faculty-student partnerships, the Research in the Application of Ethics program encourages Faculty Fellows and Student Scholars to participate thoughtfully in these important conversations as they lean into the ethical tensions of the modern world. Contact Dan McGinty (mcgintyd@up.edu) with questions.
Dundon-Berchtold Institute
Research in The Application of Ethics Program: Apply Now
Applications are now being accepted by the Dundon-Berchtold Institute for the 2020-2021 Research in the Application of Ethics Program. A catalog of past projects and the details for submitting proposals can be found at the website for the Dundon-Berchtold Institute by clicking here.
The deadline to submit proposals is Friday, February 28.
Research Projects in the Application of Ethics: Individual faculty work with an undergraduate student of her/his choice on a research project related to ethical issues in their respective academic subject areas or in the professions supported by those academic areas. Faculty Fellows participate in two brief colloquia on classical methods in ethics facilitated by UP philosophy faculty during the fall semester of their awarded project.
The Faculty Fellow receives a stipend of $2,500, and the Student Scholar receives a financial aid scholarship of $2,500.
Ethics Curriculum Fellowship: A four-person team (two faculty members and two students) works to research/develop/replicate and implement applied ethics scenarios into course or major curriculum related to and complementing the PHL 220: Ethics course. Faculty Fellows participate in two brief colloquia on classical methods in ethics facilitated by UP philosophy faculty during the fall semester of their awarded fellowship.
The Ethics Curriculum Fellowship is a $10,000 grant. Funds are paid as $2,500 stipends to each of the two Faculty Fellows and $2,500 financial aid scholarships to each of the two Student Scholars.
For more information contact Dan McGinty, Dundon-Berchtold Institute, at x7596 or mcgintyd@up.edu.
An Evening with Susan Sygall, Feb. 3: Please RSVP
The Dundon-Berchtold Institute will welcome Susan Sygall for an Ethics Week Conversation on Monday, February 3, at 7:15 p.m., in the Brian Doyle Auditorium. Sygall is a world-renowned disability rights and leadership advocate, a MacArthur Fellow, and an honorary doctorate recipient at the University’s May 2019 commencement.
While the event is free and open to all, the Dundon-Berchtold Institute asks that attendees please RSVP using this link.
Sygall is CEO and co-founder of Mobility International USA, a non-profit organization advancing disability rights and leadership globally. She has co-authored numerous publications and lectured throughout the world on a variety of topics related to inclusive international development, women’s leadership, and disability rights. She is a member of the International Women’s Forum, and also received the President’s Award from President Bill Clinton at the White House for her active role throughout our country and the world in empowering people with disabilities.
For more information, contact Hannah Pick, Dundon-Berchtold Institute, at x7825 or pick@up.edu.
University of Portland Selected to Host $1 Million Opus Prize
The University of Portland has been selected to host the 2018 Opus Prize, a $1 million annual award which recognizes individuals or organizations who address critical social issues within their communities.
The Opus Prize Foundation, a non-profit organization based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, sponsors the Opus Prize, an annual, faith-based humanitarian award recognizing individuals internationally and domestically who are addressing persistent and pressing social problems within their communities. Each year, the Opus Prize Foundation chooses a Catholic university to serve as its partner in selecting the Opus Prize laureates and finalists. The award is one of the world’s largest faith-based awards for social entrepreneurship, composed of one $1 million award and two $100,000 prizes.
The 2018 Opus Prize will consist of a year-long partnership with the University of Portland, providing unique opportunities for engagement that aim to inspire students, faculty and staff, and the greater Portland community. These partnerships are mutually beneficial, celebrating the work of faith-based social entrepreneurs around the world while inspiring the next generation of leaders to pursue lives of service.
The process will begin in Fall 2017, when the University will carry out an internal nomination process for the 2018 Opus Prize. UP alumni and friends locally and around the world will be asked to study the impact of unsung heroes in their communities and consider nominating them for the Opus Prize.
In January 2018, UP will convene an Opus Prize jury comprised of greater Portland faith and business leaders, innovators, and social entrepreneurs. The jury will consider the candidacy of each nominee and determine three finalists for the award.
During Spring 2018, the three finalists will be evaluated in the field by members of the Opus Prize Foundation, along with a delegation of UP students, faculty, and staff. These due diligence expeditions offer unique opportunities for members of the campus community to witness the powerful work of these agents for social change in action.
After the spring expeditions, the University will reciprocate by hosting all three finalists for a week-long celebration in Portland in November 2018. During the 2018 Opus Prize Week, the three finalists will be on the UP campus to visit classrooms and engage in conversation with the University community and the greater Portland community. This week will culminate in the Opus Prize Ceremony, when the $1 million award and two $100,000 prizes will be announced.
For more information about the Opus Prize, please visit www.opusprize.org. For additional information about the University of Portland’s partnership with the Opus Prize Foundation, please contact Dan McGinty, director of the Dundon-Berchtold Institute for Moral Formation and Applied Ethics, at x7596 or at mcgintyd@up.edu.
Meg Jay To Present “The Defining Decade,” Sept. 27
Author, TEDxTalk speaker, and professor Meg Jay will speak about the “twentysomething” years on Sunday, September 27, at 7 p.m., in the Chiles Center. Jay will explain why the twenties are such a rich and important time when the things people do—and don’t do—have an enormous effect across years and opportunities to come. Her talk is sponsored by UP and the Dundon-Berchtold Institute. Tickets are free and can be picked up in advance at the Chiles Center box office during normal business hours.
Please direct questions to Dan McGinty, Dundon-Berchtold Institute, at mcgintyd@up.edu.
Dan McGinty To Head Dundon-Berchtold Institute
Dan McGinty, who has served for the past ten years as special assistant to the provost for academic advising to athletes, has been named as director of the Dundon-Berchtold Institute for Moral Formation and Applied Ethics, according to Thomas Greene, provost. This administrative position is funded through a generous gift from Amy Dundon and Jim Berchtold. McGinty will provide leadership for strategic planning, program coordination, and new outreach efforts for the Institute. He has been involved with the initiative from its inception and has demonstrated a passion for this important work in extending ethics as a centerpiece of the University. For more information contact the provost’s office at 7105 or staten@up.edu.