Ethics Center announces lecture series for fall 2025

KALAMAZOO, Mich.—The Western Michigan University Center for the Study of Ethics in Society is hosting a series of talks during the fall 2025 semester. All events are free and open to the public.

• On Sept. 24, Dr. Angie Moe, professor in the Department of Sociology and director of the WMU Therapy Dog Clinic, will talk about “Paws for Thought: Ethical Considerations of Therapy Dog Work” at 5:30 p.m. in Room 2209 of the WMU Student Center and be accompanied by her dog Sunny. This talk will examine the ethical considerations inherent in the incorporation of therapy dogs, focusing on the welfare of both human recipients and canine participants. It is co-sponsored by the WMU Therapy Dog Clinic and Resiliency Center for Families and Children in the College of Health and Human Services.
• On Oct. 3, Dr. Kevin Timpe, William H. Jellema Chair in Christian Philosophy at Calvin University, will give a lecture titled “Systems that Harm: The Ethics of Scaffolding for Support”at noon in Room 00302 on the lower level of Dunbar Hall. This is a keynote address for the 2025 Medical Humanities Conference, which the Ethics Center is co-sponsoring, along with the WMU Medical Humanities Workgroup and the Department of Philosophy. Drawing on insights from disability studies, Timpe will discuss structural harms affecting vulnerable individuals in clinical and institutional settings.
• Next up is a talk at 6:30 p.m. on Oct. 7 in Room 1060 of the Fetzer Center titled, "Uber's Problem and the Moral Architecture of the Gig Economy” by Dr. Mark Hoipkemier, assistant research professor in Business Ethics and Society at the University of Notre Dame. He argues that Uber suffers from a failure of integrity because the company implicitly exercises power over its drivers while explicitly denying that it does so. The talk’s co-sponsors are Department of Philosophy and the Haworth College of Business Center for Sustainable Business Practices.
• “When Living Becomes Assisted” by the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) Senior Readers Theater will take center stage at 4:30 p.m. on Oct. 22 in Room 1010 of the College of Health and Human Services Building. This play offers a poignant look at one family’s struggle with the question: "When is it time for an elderly loved one to move into assisted living?" The play’s director is Dr. D. Terry Williams, professor and chair emeritus of theatre at WMU. The assistant director is Mary VanDerMaas, who retired from a professional career working with students with special needs. The playwright is Kelly O’Leary, who retired from teaching composition and French at Kalamazoo Valley Community College. There will be a discussion afterward with special guest Shukurani Nsengiyumva, program manager for the Alzheimer's Association Michigan Chapter. For a full listing of the cast and crew, see the Ethics Center’s webpage. The co-sponsors for this performance are OLLI and Alzheimer's Association Michigan Chapter.
• "Artificial Intelligence and the Complexities of Love and Creativity in Ishiguro's Klara and the Sun” will be presented by Dr. Jil Larson, professor in the Department of English, at 5:30 p.m. on Nov. 5 in Room 2209 of the student center. This talk explores how Kazuo Ishiguro’s novel Klara and the Sun helps us think about the ethics of artificial intelligence and other technological advances in relation to the perennial philosophical question of what it means to be human. It is co-sponsored by the Department of English.
• The last talk of the semester is “Disparities in PFAS Exposure and Health Impacts” at 6 p.m. on Dec. 1 in Putney Auditorium at the Fetzer Center. Dr. Courtney Carignan will explore the social, geographic and occupational disparities in PFAS exposure, highlighting how systemic factors contribute to unequal health burdens and discussing implications for environmental justice and public health policy. Carignan is an assistant professor at Michigan State University with a joint appointment in the Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition and the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology. There will be a reception after the talk, which is part of the 2025-26 Public Health event series. 

The Bach series also includes a book club this semester on Toxic Communities: Environmental Racism, Industrial Pollution, and Residential Mobility by sociologist Dr. Dorceta Taylor. Discussions will be led by Jon Milgrim, faculty specialist in the Department of Philosophy. Meetings will be from 5 to 6:30 p.m. Tuesdays, Oct. 7, Oct. 14 and Oct. 21 in Room 3120 of Sangren Hall. Visitor parking is available in lots 68 and 69; there are no meter fees after 5 p.m. The first 10 participants to register receive a free book.

All Ethics Center events are eligible for WMU Signature credit. To learn more about the Center for the Study of Ethics in Society and its lecture series, including livestream links as they become available, visit https://wmich.edu/ethics/events/lectures.

About the Center for the Study of Ethics in Society

In August 1985, the Center for the Study of Ethics in Society was created after WMU faculty across the curriculum met to discuss their common interests in studying and teaching ethics. Each academic year, the center sponsors 15 to 20 public presentations addressing a wide range of ethical issues. Originally sponsored by WMU’s Graduate College, the center is now housed in the College of Arts and Sciences.

For more WMU news, arts and events, visit WMU News online.