Hello fellow bioethics enthusiasts. I would like to warmly introduce myself as the Director of Development for CBHD. While I am new to the Center’s staff, I am no stranger to the work of CBHD. As a graduate of the dual degree program at Trinity International University, I earned both my Bachelor’s degree in Biology/Pre-Med and my Master’s degree in Bioethics. In fact, I was drawn to Trinity because of this unique degree offering and the great asset of having the Center in such close proximity. Going to CBHD’s summer conferences, along with receiving the Center’s literature and interacting with a number of our fellows, proved to be pivitol to my education at Trinity and fueled my interest in bioethics.
What draws me to bioethics is the amalgamation of science with philosophy and theology. The value and dignity of human life is something that I am very passionate about. I believe it is woven into our genetics and present from the first days of our creation. Within this subject, my particular areas of interest lie mainly with reproductive ethics and stem cell research. The first book I ever read on bioethics was the Center’s volume, The Reproduction Revolution, edited by John Kilner, Paige Cunningham, and W. David Hager. This book did a great job of addressing issues that are pressing in our society today and pauses to think about the ethical ramifications of moving forward with new technologies. Among other things it raised the perennial question “Does the ‘can’ of being able to do something imply the ‘ought’ that we should indeed do it?”
I believe that these issues will become even more pressing in the days to come. There is still much work to be done and none of this will happen without the funds to make it possible. I look forward to working with our faithful donors and also finding new individuals to come on board and join us in the work we are doing.
One new program I am launching this year is “Bioengagement Partners.” You may be familiar with “President’s Inner Circle” at Trinity, but I wanted to offer our top donors a group more tailored to their interests and affinities. Bioengagement Partners are our faithful supporters who give $1,000 or more in a fiscal year (July 1 – June 30). Bioengagement Partners will be invited to special events, receive exclusive updates and reports and are recognized in our annual report. I hope that this is just one of many things I can put in place to better serve our donors!
I am excited to join the work of the Center and invite you to partner with us as well. Together we can impact our culture, and on some scale – the world!
