Yale Bulletin and Calendar

August 29, 2003|Volume 32, Number 1|Two-Week Issue

David H. Smith

'What Is a Good Death?' among
topics of Bioethics Project programs

A program exploring the question "What Is a Good Death?" is among the many events being sponsored this fall by the Interdisciplinary Bioethics Project, part of the Institution for Social and Policy Studies.

"What is a Good Death?" is the focus of a reading group being led this fall by David H. Smith, a professor of religious studies at Indiana University in Bloomington, who is the bioethicist-in-residence at Yale for the 2003-2004 academic year.

Smith directs Indiana University's Poynter Center for the Study of Ethics and American Institutions, which has studied the social responsibility of professions and professionals, research ethics, ethical issues in human genetics and the social role of trustees. He is also adjunct professor of both medicine and philanthropic studies at Indiana University, where he has taught since 1967.

Particularly concerned with the role of religious ideas and institutions in medical ethics, Smith is the author of "Health and Medicine in the Anglican Tradition" and "Entrusted: The Moral Responsibilities of Trustees" and is a co-author of "Early Warning," a set of case studies and recommended guidelines for decisions about testing for late-onset autosomal dominant genetic diseases. He is currently at work on a book on religion and the morality of care for the dying, based in part on interviews with physicians, nurses and chaplains.

At Yale, he will teach a fall course titled "Playing God? Moral, Religious and Social Issues in Bioethics." In the spring, he will teach a seminar titled "Bioethics, Religion and the Limits of Freedom."

"I am especially interested in ethics -- its ways of dealing with religion and religious differences, the possibility of basing it on religious symbols and convictions, its theological and religious formulations -- in practical and professional ethics and in the teaching of ethics," says Smith.

The winner of two teaching awards at Indiana University, Smith chaired the religious studies department there from 1976 to 1984 and headed the university's Independent Learning Program. He holds a B.A. from Carleton College, a B.D. from the Yale Divinity School and a Ph.D. from Princeton University. He directed National Endowment for the Humanities seminars for college faculty members for two summers and an academic year, and had conducted professional development training conferences for the U.S. Navy Chaplain Corps. A fellow of the Hastings Center, he is a consultant on the teaching of ethics and values in higher education and chaired the executive committee of the Association for Practical and Professional Ethics for 10 years.

Other initiatives

The Bioethics Project -- which encompasses work being done in the medical, scientific, genetic and environmental fields -- will sponsor many programs this year, including its Bioethics and Public Seminar Series, the Faculty Bioethics Workshop, and a number of working research groups, as well as courses.

A list of these activities, which includes comprehensive information about bioethics researchers and courses at Yale, can be found in the newest edition of "Bioethics at Yale." The booklet can be obtained by contacting Carol Pollard at (203) 432-6188 or carol.pollard@yale.edu. Information on Bioethics Project offerings can also be found online at www.yale.edu/isps.

T H I SW E E K ' SS T O R I E S

A Message to the Yale Community

Refurbished Sprague Memorial Hall is an 'architectural . . . triumph'

Concerts celebrate the reopening of Sprague Hall

Professorship honors memory of Donald Cohen

Damaged law books are taken out of a deep freeze

Renowned neuroscientist Patricia Goldman-Rakic dies

Exhibit offers look at ancient forms of life on Earth

Wildfire costs are higher than accounted for, report charges

Computer-generated designs featured in architecture gallery

Artist's works portray Christianity through Thai art forms

Exhibit explores influences on American furniture design

Women veterans are found to be at higher risk for homelessness

Day of Caring drive will put books into hands of area children

Documentary on contemporary artists to be screened on campus

Alumni group supports students' summer service

Quest camera will aid scientists in astronomical research

Grant to Child Study Center supports evaluation of home-based care

Historian Jaroslav Pelikan is honored for contributions

Former Law School dean honored with the Fleming Award

'What Is a Good Death?' among topics of Bioethics Project programs