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.
2026-27 Undergraduate Fellows:
Adeline Arvidson
My fellowship project seeks to humanize the experiences of homelessness and substance use within the Philadelphia community through an ethics-based exploration of harm reduction and low-barrier healthcare. The project will feature interviews with individuals directly affected by homelessness and substance use, alongside perspectives from local providers working in low-barrier care settings. These narratives will serve as the foundation for two campus events designed to foster thoughtful, constructive dialogue around stigma, healthcare access, and community responsibility. Ultimately, the project aims to challenge misconceptions surrounding homelessness and substance use by centering lived experiences and promoting empathy and compassion.
Hadley Hubbard
Families in Norristown often navigate complex structural challenges including environmental harm, housing insecurity, and immigration‑related fear, that shape their interactions with institutions and volunteers. This project explores the ethical dimensions of community engagement by examining how trust, vulnerability, and power operate within these relationships. Through collaboration with the Sophomore Service Learning Community and local partners, it will develop a digital toolkit and workshop series to support thoughtful, informed, and relationship‑centered service. The goal is to deepen ethical awareness and equip students with practical frameworks for engaging communities with care and respect.
Aiden Li
Summer Vitale
This project examines the ethical implications of life without parole (LWOP) sentences through engagement with criminological, philosophical, and legal scholars, alongside individuals with experience in the exoneration process. This project connects current issues in justice and mercy with core Villanova teachings and values while recognizing the intersection between wrongful sentencing and racial discrimination within the prosecution process. By analyzing Augustinian theology and restorative justice philosophy, the research explores alternative methods of punishment that are ethical, effective, and applicable within the current criminal legal system.
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 Rev. Kail C. Ellis, OSA, Center for Undergraduate Students, Office of Education Abroad and Career Center.
