Summer Program
Application Process
History of the Program
Lists of Participants, Lecturers, and Seminars by year
Yale’s Interdisciplinary Center for Bioethics offers a unique 2-month-long intensive summer program for American and international undergraduate and graduate students (and others) from varying disciplines who are interested in learning more about bioethics. The 2012 program runs from June 4 to July 27. Participants attend a series of morning lectures surveying the field of bioethics; attend intensive seminars on special topics such as care for the dying, bioethics and law, bioethics and media, literature, technology and ethics, public health ethics, and feminist approaches to bioethics; attend a bioethics film/discussion series; participate in field trips to bioethics-related institutions; and present an original paper at a final in-house “mini-conference”. Participants are usually in residence on the Yale campus, and can sometimes find part-time work on the Yale campus or in the area.
Lectures and seminars will often be presented by scholars from Yale, though there are also speakers from other universities and institutions. (See the list of lecturers and seminars below.) Lecture attendance is compulsory and required reading assignments will be distributed. A series of seminars will be offered to stimulate discussion and a deeper consideration of ethical issues. Students can usually sign up for their choice of two seminars each month.
“Bioethics Field Trips” generally include visits to The Hastings Center (a major independent bioethics think-tank in Garrison, NY); the Connecticut Hospice in Branford, CT; and the Monsanto Corporation’s Research Center in Mystic, CT, as well as an ecological exploration of Long Island Sound via schooner.
Research “Mini-Conference.” One goal of the summer program is to provide participants with the opportunity to research, write, and present a paper on a selected topic in bioethics. Participants will be expected to write a paper on a bioethics topic of their choice to be handed in at the end of the program. Additionally, they will be required to present the paper at the annual end-of-program “Mini-Conference.”
Evaluation of Work Product. Students will receive feedback on their final projects and will be asked to evaluate the program at its conclusion.
To Apply: Each candidate must submit a current transcript; a 1- to 2-page letter of intent discussing the candidate’s interest in bioethics; a letter of recommendation from a professor or mentor; and a CV or resume. Candidates for whom English is not the first language may need to speak with representatives of the selection committee by telephone in order to demonstrate competence in spoken English. The deadline for US students for the summer 2012 program is January 15, 2012. Due to VISA issues, foreign students should apply by November 30, 2011. Applications after that date will still be considered, but we cannot make guarantees about your ability to get a VISA on time. However, it is also possible to defer your attendance until the following summer. For inquiries and to submit the completed documents via e-mail, please contact Carol Pollard.
Selection of Participants: Qualified students will have demonstrated an interest in the area of bioethics, either by having taken courses or written papers in the area, or by having seriously engaged with bioethical issues through work or extracurricular activities. Yale reads “bioethics” broadly to include medical, biological and environmental ethics. Candidates may be undergraduates, graduate students, or post-graduates in any field, from law to religion, from forestry to medicine, from philosophy to political science, from literature to anthropology, so long as they can make the case for the contribution of their field to bioethical debate. The selection committee will choose candidates on the basis of their established interest in the field, evidence of their academic ability, evidence of their capacity to contribute to the internship’s group experience; and relevant intellectual, life, and work experience.
Fees: For the summer of 2012, the fees will be $1,250 (undergraduates), $2,000 (graduate students and post-doctoral fellows), and $3,000 (professionals); this is exclusive of transportation and housing costs, which participants must fund themselves. The fee must be paid by check (either bank or personal); we cannot accept credit cards, wire transfers, or cash. The Bioethics Center can facilitate access to relatively inexpensive on-campus dormitory-style housing. Rates may vary by amenities offered. These fees must be paid to the housing office, not the Bioethics Center. In general, the use of this housing is only possible during the period of the internship; specific dates will be conveyed to participants each year.
The Program began as a Summer Internship Program in 2003 as a response to many requests from Yale’s undergraduate students for more educational opportunities in the field of bioethics. The original program involved students in the intellectual life of the Bioethics Center, and gave them opportunities to join in the work of the Center by assisting in editing Center publications and in planning the Center’s study groups’ activities for the following academic year. In subsequent years the program has taken on an increasingly academic cast, building in more lectures and intensive seminars; and has grown to include participants from universities all around America and the world.
Transportation around and off campus:
a) Yale has a free shuttle that goes around campus. You can see the locations of the shuttles in real time. Visit http://www.yale.edu/transportationoptions/shuttle/ to learn about this lovely service.
b) New Haven also has a fine city bus system. Click here to see the various routes that go to and from New Haven. The normal local fare is $1.25, but multi-ride passes or unlimited number-of-days passes are also available (click the fares tab on the above website for details).
c) Parking can be challenging in New Haven, particularly to those unused to city parking signs (such as the author of this website, who thought "NO STANDING" meant you shouldn't stand there). If you are considering bringing a car to campus, please visit this website for more information.
Housing alternatives:
The Bioethics Center cannot make housing arrangements for you other than the dormitory. However, you will have the opportunity to coordinate with fellow participants if you wish to sublet apartments together. We suggest the Yale classifieds and craigslist as valuable resources.
We will send you paperwork to begin the process of obtaining a visa. However, you may wish to learn about the process ahead of time. The Yale Office of International Students & Scholars has lots of helpful information. Students who are coming to our program will find this page of their website particularly helpful regarding the visa and the SEVIS fee, and this page helpful regarding health insurance coverage. You can also email us if you still have questions.
2012 Lecturers
2012 Seminars
2012 Participants
Mena Joseph Abdelmalak
Biological Sciences/Pre-Health Specialization
The Ohio State University
Gala Vega Achábal
Medical Student – 4th Year, Dept of Biomedical Sciences
European University of Madrid, Spain
Inés Perezpayá Alonso
Medical Student – 3rd Year, Dept of Biomedical Sciences
European University of Madrid, Spain
Pia Andrighetto
BA (Philosophy) and Bachelor of Business (Marketing)
Monash University, Australia
Csaba Bardossy
Faculty of Law, Medicine
Pazmany Peter Catholic University, Hungary
Kathrine Barnes
Doctoral Candidate
Maxwell School of Syracuse University, Department of Family Medicine, SUNY Upstate Medical Center
Karimi Hanane Bensalah
Master of Arts in Ethics
Strasbourg University, France
Jenny Benson
Public Health
The George Washington University
Florent-Alain Bikini
Masters in Ethics/Masters in Catholic Theology
Strasbourg University, France
Ana Caroline da Costa e Fonseca Berlin
Professor of Philosophy, Public Prosecutor’s Law School
Federal University of Rio Grande du Sul, UFRGS, Brazil
Izabella Borek
Graduate Student, Biotechnology
Jagiellonian University, Poland
Jack E. Brackney
BA in Economics, Political Science, and Philosophy
The University of Akron
Carrie Anne Burt
Biology
Transylvania University
Nicholas Caros
Bachelor of Arts, Philosophy and Pre-Law
Columbia University
Maribel Yerena Castillo
PhD Candidate, Department of Philosophy
University of Malaga, Spain
Yichen Chiu
MA in Bioethics
New York University
and
Biomedical Ethics Research Unit
Center for Translational Science Activities, Mayo Clinic
Mary Margaret (Maggie) Cleary
Philosophy and American Studies
Georgetown University
Praveena Krishnamurthy Deekonda
BSC Life Sciences
McMaster University, Canada
Claire Dennis
Bachelor of Arts in Political Science
Yale University
Oliver Devine
Medicine (Third Year)
Keele University, England
Alex (Oleksandr) Dubov
Doctoral Candidate in Health Care Ethics
Duquesne University
Mia Engstrom
Medical Student
Lund University, Sweden
Kyle William Fitzpatrick
English/Philosophy
Purdue University
Jimena Laiseca García
Medical Student – 3rd Year, Dept of Biomedical Sciences
European University of Madrid, Spain
Zacharoula Gkotsi
Bachelor of Arts in Ethics, Politics & Economics
Yale University
Andy Sim Gim Hong
Master of Social Work
New York University
Thomas Hahn
Graduate Student, College of Engineering & Science
Louisiana Tech University
Donna Eileen Hanrahan
Political Science
State University of New York/Geneseo
Kiana Hassanpour
MD/MPH Student
Tehran University of Medical Science, Iran
Mi Hu, MD
Department of Social Medicine and Health Management, School of Public Health
Central South University, China
Camila Idrovo
Science, Technology and International Affairs
Georgetown University School of Foreign Service
Murad Ahmad Kahn
RAK College of Medical Sciences
RAK Medical & Health Sciences University, Ras Al Khaimah, United Arab Emirates
Alexis Kaiser
Biology and Psychology
Anderson University
Fouzia Kazim
MA and MPhil in Philosophy, Dual Masters in Bioethics
Linkoping University, Sweden
Utrecht University, The Netherlands
and
Chairperson, Philosophy Department
Government Viqar-un-Nisa Postgraduate College for Women, Pakistan
Edward Larkin King, RN, JD. Ed.D
Post-Doctoral Fellow and Associate Professor – Allied Health, Nursing Unit
Hostos Community College, CUNY
Sanghee Lee
JD Candidate
Korea University Law School, Korea
Xing Liu
PhD Candidate in Bioethics, School of Public Administration
Central South University, China
John Lopez-Vila
(university to be determined)
Assistant for the Summer Program
Boris Lopicich
Universidad Diego Portales (Law)
Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile (Philosophy)
Researcher at NGO Institute of Development and Equity, Santiago de Chile
Monserrat Hernández Martínez
Medical Student – 3rd Year, Dept of Biomedical Sciences
European University of Madrid, Spain
Himanayani Mamillapalli
Molecular and Cell Biology
University of Connecticut/Storrs
Sri Vamshi Merugumala
Medicine (Third Year)
Keele University, England
Patrick Nagel
Biology and Philosophy
Jagiellonian University, Poland
Kyle Oskvig
Bachelor of Arts in Classical Languages, Philosophy
University of Iowa
Francisco Javier Tejero Pintor
Medical Student – 4th Year, Dept of Biomedical Sciences
European University of Madrid, Spain
Christine P. Powers
Philosophy and Psychology
Stonehill College
Mir-Muhammad Razavi
Masters in Theological Studies
Harvard Divinity School
Isabel Carriles Rivero
Medical Student – 3rd Year, Dept of Biomedical Sciences
European University of Madrid, Spain
Alexander Harding Rowan
English Literature and Biochemistry
University of Colorado at Boulder
Tristana Martin Rubio
Candidate for Masters in Architecture
McGill University, Canada
and
M.A. in Philosophy
Concordia University, Canada
Karl Alexander Schmitt
Neurobiology
Transylvania University
Emily Marie Shepp
Philosophy and Political Science
Transylvania University
Santa Slokenberga
LLM (Distinction) Medical Law and Ethics
University of Kent, England
and
Doctoral Candidate in Medical Law
Uppsala University, Sweden
Adrienne Spiegel
Philosophy
Yale University
Tsion Tesfaye
Political Science and Public Policy
Virginia Commonwealth University
Srigowtham Thakku
National University of Singapore
Yale University
Margo Uhrman
Psychology
Case Western Reserve University
Mohammad Usman
Bachelor of Arts in Urban Public Policy & Conflict Studies
Depauw University
Xiaomin Wang, PhD
School of Public Administration
Central South University, China
Hannah Elizabeth Winterton
Medicine (Third Year)
Keele University, England
Li Xin, MD
Department of Hematology, 3rd Xiangya Hospital
Central South University, China
Jan Zielonka
Biology
Yale University
Kavot Zillen
Postgraduate Studies (LLD in medical law)
Uppsala University, Sweden
2011 Lectures, Seminars, and Participants
2010 Lectures, Seminars, and Participants
2009 Lectures, Seminars, and Participants
