DePauw team wins Bioethics competition

Friday, March 30, 2012

A team from DePauw University emerged the winner of the Bioethics Bowl debate tournament, which took place at the National Undergraduate Bioethics Conference over the March 23-24 weekend at the University of Denver.

The DePauw squad -- comprised of senior Bethany Buis, Bryan Edwards, Mohammad Usman, junior Ben Hoffman and sophomore Cole Rodman -- won all six of its matches.

DePauw was one of 10 teams which competed in the structured, double-elimination tournament.

Last Friday, the DePauw team -- coached by Professors Marcia McKelligan and Ted Bitner -- defeated, in succession, the University of Miami, Georgetown University and the University of Central Florida and ended the day as one of only two undefeated teams.

On day two, the DePauw students topped the only other undefeated squad, the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, and again defeated the University of Miami, leading to a final match-up with Georgetown, and DePauw again prevailed to take the championship.

Additionally, team member Ben Hoffman's paper (on "The Ethics of Using Neuroenhancing Drugs on Children") was selected for presentation at the conference. He won the award for the "most inspired student presentation."

The National Undergraduate Bioethics Conference, which is presented by the American Society for Bioethics and Humanities (ASBH), focuses on pressing bioethical issues and challenges both students and attendees to shape the way they think about technological advances.

It marks the second national title in as many weekends for DePauw. Two members of the DePauw debate team -- sophomore Ronnie Kennedy and junior Jimmy Kirkpatrick -- won the national championship at the Pi Kappa Delta National Comprehensive Tournament March 15-18 in Overland Park, Kan.

Respond to this story

Posting a comment requires free registration: