| Board of Election Results Congratulations to our newly elected Board Members, and thanks to our APPE members who voted. The results of the election are: - Matthew Altman has been elected and randomly selected to serve a partial two-year term for a vacancy. He will be eligible to run for a full first term in 2028. He is the Chair and Professor of Philosophy, Central Washington University.
- Due to a vacancy, Liza Dawson has been serving a partial term on the board and she has been elected to her first term. She is Chief of Bioethics, IRB chair, and Research Integrity Officer; Walter Reed Army Institute of Research (WRAIR).
- Alex Richardson was elected to a second term. He is the Associate Director for Content Strategy and Engagement at The Janet Prindle Institute for Ethics at DePauw University
- Jessica McManus Warnell was elected to her first term. Her roles include Teaching Professor, Department of Management & Organization; Rex & Alice A. Martin Faculty Director; Notre Dame Deloitte Center for Ethical Leadership Managing Director for Research Strategy, Operations, and Engagement, Human-centered Analytics Lab; Mendoza College of Business; University of Notre Dame.
They will officially join our Board of Directors on July 1, when their terms begin. The nomination period for next year's slate will open in November. |
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| APPE Committee, Ex Officio Board Member Openings In addition to our elected members, we are seeking two early career or graduate student APPE Members to serve as Ex Officios on our Board of Directors. Nominations are open until May 31, 2026. Self-nominations are welcome. Selected candidates will serve one, non-renewable two-year term on the Board that will start July 1, 2026. Ex Officios participate in board meetings but do not vote. Apply here.
We are also seeking members for our committees. APPE Committees are made up of APPE Board Members and Members-At-Large. Committees are reconstituted on an annual basis and members serve one year, renewal terms, which begin on July 1, 2026. Committees are a great way to get involved with planning and supporting the organization, and to gain leadership experience. Submit your nomination by June 6, 2026 to be considered for the following committees: - APPE IEB® (Responsible for serving as liaison to the APPE Intercollegiate Ethics Bowl® program and engaging and coordinating with others interested in ethics bowl activities.)
- Conference (Responsible for overseeing the planning and production of the annual conference.)
- Membership & Nominating (Responsible for recruiting and retaining members, ensuring member satisfaction, and promoting membership benefits; and identifying, vetting, and recommending an annual list of candidates for election to the Board of Directors)
- Outreach & Engagement (Responsible for increasing outreach and engagement of members and non-members and creating a welcoming, supportive and accessible environment in all our programming.)
- Programming (Responsible for overseeing the planning and production of non-conference programming throughout the year.)
Only APPE Members whose memberships are in good standing will be considered for committee positions. |
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In Memoriam: Bob Ladenson  It is with great sadness that we announce that Robert F. Ladenson, the founder of the Ethics Bowl, passed away on May 3, 2026. Bob was a beloved member of the APPE and Ethics Bowl community. His presence and mentorship will be missed.
As his obituarty states, "He dedicated his career to exploring the intersection of law, ethics, and education, and leaves behind a legacy that transformed competitive debate into a global movement for civil discourse.
For over 50 years, Ladenson was a cornerstone of the Illinois Institute of Technology faculty, where he served as Professor of Philosophy and co-founder of the Center for Study of Ethics in the Professions. Upon his retirement, he was named Professor of Philosophy Emeritus, recognizing his distinguished service to the institution. His 1993 creation of the Intercollegiate Ethics Bowl at IIT fundamentally changed how students engage with ethics.
His goal was to create a competition that prioritized collaborative dialogue and deliberative thoughtfulness over the confrontational style of traditional debate. He believed this format could help students understand and emphathize with opposing viewpoints, and the Ethics Bowl format he created rewards collaboration and the nuanced analysis of 'grey areas' — skills he considered essential for a stable democracy. Tens of thousands of students have taken part in annual Ethics Bowl competitions nationally, internationally, across a range of sectors including the armed services, with participant ages ranging from middle school through senior citizens.
As a long-standing member of the Association for Practical and Professional Ethics, Ladenson was honored in [our] publications and anniversaries for his profound contribution to the academic community, which established the Robert Ladenson Spirit of the Ethics Bowl Award in his honor to celebrate the teams that best exemplify his core values of respect and civility, thoughtfulness, and collaboration." |
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We invite you to leave a note of remembrance for Bob, here.
Donations in Bob's memory can be made to honor his legacy, and will support participation in the Ethics Bowl, in consultation with the Ladenson family and IEB leadership.
Contribute to the fund. |
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 | Registration is open for the 2026 Ethics Bowl Summer Workshop, which will be held virtually on July 24 and 25. Current and prospective Ethics Bowl coaches and team members, as well as regional hosts, are encouraged to attend. This free, online event will feature sessions on topics designed for all types of Ethics Bowlers--coaches, regional hosts, students, newcomers, and veterans.
Learn more and register here. |
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Newsy & Noteworthy
Member News - APPE Board Member Deborah S. Mower was named one of 24 scholars to this year's class of Andrew Carnegie Fellows. Her topic is: Cultivating Civility: The Role of Ethics and Structured Peer Conversation in Reducing Political Polarization. Read more.
Jobs & Events
Have you seen our job and event emails? Limited free access to post jobs and events of interest in the weekly email (as well as in the Info Hub) is a benefit of membership. If you're a member and would like to submit something for consideration, just login to the Member portal, go to Job & Event Postings and click "add." Non-members can access the jobs and events by creating a login but must pay a fee to list positions and events. Reach out to contact@appe-ethics.org for more info.
We Want to Hear From You! To be featured as a member spotlight or if you have news to share, including books published, send us an email at membernews@appe-ethics.org. |
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APPE Endowment Update Our APPE Endowment, a long-term fund designed to secure APPE’s future and ensure we thrive for generations to come, continues to grow. Thanks to your generosity we are almost halfway to our goal of $50,000. The APPE Board will will continue to match gifts up to $10,000. Help us reach $50,000! All gifts, no matter the size, will help.
A special thanks to our newest member of the APPE Legacy Circle (those who give $250 or more): |
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Ethics Bowl Case to Consider Red Flags (2025 Intercollegiate Ethics Bowl Regional Competition Case Set) Should flags of "religious, ethnic, racial, political or sexual orientation group[s]" be displayed on city property? This is the question at the center of a case in last fall's regional competition case set that describes a ban on such flags in Hamtramck, Mich.
As the case points out, "The flag ban might be seen as a suppression of a certain groups’ dignity, as the affirmation of dignity might require visibility and solidarity, but it might also be seen as a measure towards the equal consideration of citizens, that the state does not favor the values of one group over another."
Read the case (#13) here, then discuss with your friends, family and colleagues. |
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