Thanks to the power of philanthropy, University of Pennsylvania Professor Anita Allen serves as the first Robert Henry Levi and Ryda Hecht Levi Visiting Professor in Bioethics and Public Policy. Professor Allen currently holds an endowed chair in law at the University of Pennsylvania - where she also is a Professor of Philosophy. Previously, she was an associate dean at the Georgetown School of Law. She not only has published literally dozens and dozens of law review articles, philosophy academic manuscripts, and written several books; she also publishes weekly in the Newark Star-Ledger and has appeared on MSNBC, Good Morning America, and other national media outlets. When it comes to bioethics issues, Professor Allen places an especially high value on raising the level of public dialogue.

 

Through the generous support of Levi family, the inaugural Levi professorship has allowed the Institute to deepen its goal of engaging multiple audiences in questions of bioethics.

 

           

 

 

 

 

 

With the goal of creating an extraordinary week of public outreach activity to focus on the moral dimensions of health care and policy, the Berman Institute of Bioethics sought the support of The Kirk Family Foundation. With the foundation's commitment, the Institute was able to engage more than 2,000 individuals during the first-ever Bioethics Week at Johns Hopkins. Held in April of 2007, Bioethics Week featured a powerful drama on death and dying, a special lecture from U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (MD), a presentation on the dangers of gene patenting from author Dr. Michael Crichton, a film series, and much more. The Berman Institute also celebrated its first decade of research and teaching during the week.

Events were held for undergraduate students, nursing, public health and medicine students, doctors, nurses, hospital staff, and the general public. The Kirk Family Foundation allowed the Institute to hold nearly 20 events.

 

 

 

Arnold P. Gold Foundation:

 

 

One of the Institute’s primary goals is to educate future generations of caregivers in the ethics in clinical practice. Thanks to the Arnold P. Gold Foundation, the Institute recently created Ethics Night with actress Megan Cole. With the foundation's support, Ms. Cole gave a special performance ofThe Power of Wit, an educational adaptation of the Pulitzer-Prize winning play, Wit.

Ms. Cole originated the role of dying Professor Vivian Bearing in the 1990s, and brought the character back to life before dozens of medical and nursing students. The drama was followed by dinner and a facilitated discussion of ethical caregiving between among Johns Hopkins students and faculty.