Workshops and Events

LOCATION
Park Hall 141, UB North Campus

SCHEDULE 

9:00-9:30 Breakfast

9:30–10:50 Alex Gillham (St. Bonaventure) “The Pregnancy Rescue Case and A(Typical) Abortion”

10:50-11:00 Break

11:00-12:20 Walter Sisto (D’Youville University) “We Need to Die: Bulgakov’s Sophiology of Dying and Infinite Life”

12:20-3:00 Lunch

3:00-4:20 Steve Kershnar (Romanell Fellow/SUNY Professor Suspendus) “The Responsibility Argument Against Non-Consequentialism in Bioethics”

4:20-4:30 Break

4:30-6:30 Keynoter Lisa Rasmussen.  (UNC Charlotte) “Ungoverned Ethics: How to Ensure Research Ethics in Stateless Science."

For more information or advanced copies of the papers contact David Hershenov at dh25@buffalo.edu

LOCATION
Park Hall 141, UB North Campus

SCHEDULE 

9:00-9:30 Breakfast

9:30-10:30 John Lizza (Kutztown University) “Ontological Relativity, Bioethics, and Human Persons” 

10:30-10:45 Break

10:45-11:45 David Hershenov (Romanell Fellow/University at Buffalo) “Two Dogmas of Pro-Life Metaphysics”

11:45-12:00 Break

12:00-1:00 Jason Eberl (Saint Louis University) “Thomist Animals Are Not Animalist Animals”

1:00-3:15 Lunch

3:15-4:15 Marya Schechtman (University of Illinois, Chicago) “Death by 1000 Endings"? 

4:15-4:30 Break

4:30-6:30 Keynote
Eric Olson (Sheffield University) “There is no Such Thing as Conventionalism about Personal Identity” 
Tim O’Connor (Indiana University) Commentator

For more information or advanced copies of the papers contact David Hershenov at dh25@buffalo.edu

LOCATION
Park Hall 141, UB North Campus

SCHEDULE 

9:00-9:30 Breakfast

9:30–10:50 Debate about Death’s Criterion: Delaney McNulty v. Finn Wilson. “The Brain Stem Criterion for Death is Correct.” Delaney McNulty (UB Grad Student) will argue in favor in her presentation “Brain Stem Death is Death.” Finn Wilson (UB Grad Student) will disagree in his presentation “Against the Brain Stem Criterion of Death."

10:50-11:00 Break

11:00-12:20 Dan Trippie (Liberty University) “A Theological Case for Incrementalism After Dobbs”

12:20-2:40 Lunch

3:00-4:20 David Hershenov (Romanell Fellow/UB) “Harming the Mindless and Minimally Minded: Modifying McMahan’s Time-Relative-Interests Account of Harm”

4:20-4:30 Break

4:30-6:30 Keynoter S. Mathew Liao (New York University) “The Hard Problem of Addiction and the Role of Confidence." 

For more information or advanced copies of the papers contact David Hershenov at dh25@buffalo.edu

LOCATION
Park Hall 141, UB North Campus

SCHEDULE 

Friday September 29

6:00-8:00 pm Keynote Address #1: Jerry Wakefield (NYU), Topic 
"Boorse’s Biostatistical Account of Pathology vs. Wakefield’s Harmful Dysfunctional Account of Disorder"

Saturday September 30

9:00-9:30 Breakfast

9:30-10:50 Nick Colgrove (Augusta University) “Theoretical Virtues and the Abortion Debate: A Comprehensive Method for Resolving Disagreement.”

10:50-11:00 Break

11:00-12:20 David Shoemaker (Cornell) and Shaun Nichols (Cornell) “Personal Identity in the Wild: Identity Sourced Reasons in Bioethics.”

12:30-2:30 Lunch

2:40-4:00 John Martin Fischer (University of California Riverside) “The Good of Immortality”

4:00-4:15 Break

4:15-6:15 Keynote Address #2: Jerry Wakefield (NYU), Topic "Bob Spitzer's attempts to define mental disorder and Depathologize Homosexuality"

7:15-9:30 Dinner

Sunday October 1

9:00-11:00 am Jerry Wakefield (NYU) Working Brunch (Marriot Hotel)

For more information or advanced copies of the papers contact David Hershenov at dh25@buffalo.edu

LOCATION
Park Hall 141, UB North Campus

SCHEDULE 

Friday September 29

6:00-8:00 pm Keynote Address #1: Jerry Wakefield (NYU), Topic 
"Boorse’s Biostatistical Account of Pathology vs. Wakefield’s Harmful Dysfunctional Account of Disorder"

Saturday September 30

9:00-9:30 Breakfast

9:30-10:50 Nick Colgrove (Augusta University) “Theoretical Virtues and the Abortion Debate: A Comprehensive Method for Resolving Disagreement.”

10:50-11:00 Break

11:00-12:20 David Shoemaker (Cornell) and Shaun Nichols (Cornell) “Personal Identity in the Wild: Identity Sourced Reasons in Bioethics.”

12:30-2:30 Lunch

2:40-4:00 John Martin Fischer (University of California Riverside) “The Good of Immortality”

4:00-4:15 Break

4:15-6:15 Keynote Address #2: Jerry Wakefield (NYU), Topic "Bob Spitzer's attempts to define mental disorder and Depathologize Homosexuality"

7:15-9:30 Dinner

Sunday October 1

9:00-11:00 am Jerry Wakefield (NYU) Working Brunch (Marriot Hotel)

For more information or advanced copies of the papers contact David Hershenov at dh25@buffalo.edu

Romanell Center Bioethics Workshop Program

9:00-9:30 Breakfast 

9:30-10:30 Delaney McNulty (University at Buffalo Graduate Student) “Brainstem Death as the Criterion for Death of the Person.”

10:30-10:45 Break

10:45-11:45 Rebeca Walker (University at North Carolina) ‘Physicians and Punishment: Ethics Beyond Oaths and Codes.”

11:45-2:00 Lunch 

2:00-3:00 Peihong (Karl) Xie (University at Buffalo Graduate Student) “Brutal Identity.”

3:00-3:15 Break 

3:15-4:15 Robert Kelly (Romanell Fellow/Bakersfield College) “Addiction is a Disability, and Whether this Matters.”

4:15-4:30 Break 

4:30-6:30 Keynote Address: John Maier (Bentley College/Cedar Clinic) “Harm Reduction as Reasonable Accommodation."

7:00 Dinner

For more information or advanced copies of the papers contact David Hershenov at dh25@buffalo.edu

Romanell Center Bioethics Workshop Program

Saturday July 8, 2023
Park Hall 141, UB North Campus

9:00-9:30 Breakfast

9:30–10:30 Finn Wilson (University at Buffalo Graduate Student) “In Defense of Pre-Death Vital Organ Donation”

10:30-10:45 Break

10:45-11:45 Ana Iltis (Wake Forest University) “First Person Authorization and Family Objections to Organ Donation”

11:45-2:00 Lunch and Alan Shewmon Piano Concert – The Music of Chopin

2:00-3:00 Patrick Tully (University of Scranton) “The Primacy of Parental Authority in End of Life Decisions for Children”

3:00-3:15 Break

3:15-4:45 Alan Shewmon (UCLA Medical School Emeritus) “Revising the Uniform Determination of Death Act.”

4:45-5:00 Break

5:00-6:30 Keynote Address. Helen Watt (Bios Centre) “Destroy, let die, or grow the embryo further?  Puzzles raised by the '14 day rule' for embryo research”

7:00 Dinner

For more information or advanced copies of the papers contact David Hershenov at dh25@buffalo.edu

Romanell Center Workshop
Saturday, June 24, 2023
Park Hall 141, UB North Campus

9:00-9:30 Semi-Kosher Breakfast 

9:30-10:30  Phil Reed (Romanell Fellow, Canisius College) “Suicide Prevention as Libertarian Paternalism”

10:30-10:45 Break

10:45-11:45  Steve Gilles (Quinnipiac Law School) “When, If Ever, Does the Free Exercise Clause Require an Exception Allowing Religiously-Compelled Abortions?"
      Clarke Forsythe (Senior Counsel, Americans United for Life)

11:45-1:45 Lunch

1:45-3:45  Frances Beckwith (Baylor University) “Burglars, Violinists, Growing Children, People Seeds, and Samaritans: Do We Really Need Analogies to Understand Pregnancy and Parental Obligations?”

3:45-4:00 Break

4:00-5:00  Neil Feit (Romanell Fellow, SUNY Fredonia) "Harms and Negative Influencers." (A reply to Johansson and Risberg’s ‘A Simple Analysis of Harm’.)

5:00-5:15 Break

5:15-6:15  Jens Johansson (Uppsala University, Sweden) “Pitcovski’s Explanation-Based Account of Harm”

For more information about the workshop or to receive advanced copies of the workshop papers, email David Hershenov at dh25@buffalo.edu

WORKSHOP PROGRAM 
Saturday, May 13, 2023
PARK HALL 141, NORTH CAMPUS

9:00-9:30 Breakfast

9:30-10:30 Pat Daly MD (Lonergan Institute) “Social Health: Caring to Cooperate”

10:30-10:45 Break

10:45-11:45 Steve Kershnar (Romanell Fellow, SUNY Fredonia Professor Suspendus) “Animalism vs. Brain Theory: Who Wins?”

12:00-200 Lunch

2:15-3:15 Harvey Berman (Romanell Fellow, UB Med School Emeritus) Topic: Bioethics and the Holocaust

3:00-3:15 Break

3:15-4:15 Perry Hendricks (Purdue University) “The Pregnancy Rescue Case: Why Abortion is Immoral”

4:15-4:30 Break

4:30-6:30 Keynoter -Timothy O’Connor (Indiana University) “Human Persons and their Bodies.”

For more information about the workshop or to receive advanced copies of the workshop papers, email David Hershenov at dh25@buffalo.edu

WORKSHOP PROGRAM 
Saturday, April 1, 2023
PARK HALL 141, NORTH CAMPUS

9:00-9:30 Semi-Kosher breakfast 

9:30-10:30 Noah Kim (University at Buffalo Grad Student) "A Soul Theory Solution to the Non-Identity Problem”

10:30-10:45 Break

10:45-11:45 Neil Feit (Romanell Center, SUNY Fredonia) Topic: “Impairment Arguments Against Abortion”

12:00-2:00 Break

2:00-3:00 James Cordeiro (Romanell Center, SUNY Brockport, Oxford) "Challenging the Moral Permissibility of Elective Ectogestation”.

3:00-3:15 Break

3:15-4:15 Steve Kershnar (Romanell Center, SUNY Fredonia) “The Diversity Argument for Affirmative Action in Medical School”

4:15-4:30 Break

4:30-6:30 Keynoter -Melinda Roberts (The College of New Jersey) “The Puzzle of Procreative Asymmetry”

For more information about the workshop or to receive advanced copies of the workshop papers, email David Hershenov at dh25@buffalo.edu

WORKSHOP PROGRAM 
Saturday, March 4, 2023
PARK HALL 141, NORTH CAMPUS

9:00-9:30 Semi-Kosher breakfast

9:30-10:50 Stephen Napier (Villanova) "Conscience Rights, Naturalism and Moral Knowledge"

10:50-11:00 Break

11:00-12:20 Chris Tollefsen (USC) “Cooperating with Evil and Violations of Conscience”

12:30-2:45 Break

3:00-4:20 Melissa Moschella (Catholic University) “The Social Dimension of Human Flourishing”

4:30-6:30 Keynote Address James Stacey Taylor (The College of New Jersey) “Autonomy, Consent, False Beliefs and Ignorance”

*For more info or copies of the workshop papers email David Hershenov dh25@buffalo.edu

WORKSHOP PROGRAM 
Saturday, February 11, 2023
PARK HALL 141, NORTH CAMPUS

9:00-9:30 Breakfast

9:30-10:30 Giacomo De Colle. Topic: The Hylomorphic Conception of Death

10:30-10:45 Break

10:45-11:45 Jim Delaney. Topic: Enhancement and Basic Human Goods.

11:45-2:00 Lunch break

2:00-3:00 Phil Woodward. Topic: Love, Duty and Welfare

3:00-3:15 Break

3:15-4:15 Dan Trippie. Topic: Why Evangelicals Should Not Advocate Punishment for Women who Abort

4:15-4:30 Break

4:30-6:30 Keynote Address Pat Lee Topic: Man and Woman: Why the Difference Matters

For more information about the workshop or to receive advanced copies of the workshop papers, email David Hershenov at dh25@buffalo.edu

WORKSHOP PROGRAM 
Saturday, December 10, 2022
PARK HALL 141, NORTH CAMPUS

9:30-10:00 Breakfast 

10:00-11:00 The Don Marquis Memorial Lecture: Nick Colgrove (Wake Forest) "Intrauterine Death and Preterm Delivery: What Does Philosophy Have to Offer?"

11:00-11:15 Break

11:15-12:15 The Saint Augustine Lecture: Phil Reed. (Romanell Center/Canisius College) “The Christian Prohibition on Suicide.”

12:15-2:00 Lunch

2:00-3:00 The Titus Lucretius Carus Lecture: Michael Rabenberg (University of Rochester) “Lucretius’ Puzzle”

3:00-3:15 Break 

3:15-4:15 The Oration de Hominis Dignity Lecture: Phillip Woodward (Niagara University). “Homo Adorans and the Grounds of Human Dignity. “

4:15-4:30 Break 

4:30-6:30 The Elizabeth Anscombe Keynote Address: Jennifer Frey (University of South Carolina) Title TBA

For more information about the workshop or to receive advanced copies of the workshop papers, email David Hershenov at dh25@buffalo.edu

WORKSHOP PROGRAM 
Saturday, November 12, 2022
PARK HALL 141
9:30 a.m. to 5:50 p.m. 

9:00-9:45 Semi-Kosher breakfast 

9:30-10:30 John Lizza (Kutztown) “Metaphysical and Ethical Dimensions of the Too Many Thinkers Problem”

10:30-10:45 Break

10:45-11:45 Chris Riddle (Utica) "Medical Aid in Dying: The Case of Disability"

11:45-1:45 Lunch 

1:45-2:45 Perry Hendricks (Purdue) “The Impairment Argument”

2:45-3:00 Break 

3:00-4:00 James Cordeiro (Romanell Fellow, Brockport/Oxford) "Some Moral Reflections on Assisted Gestation Technologies"

4:00-4:15 Break 

4:15-6:15 Keynote Address: Jeff Bishop (Saint Louis University) “The Unbearable Porosity of Being: On the Failures of Insular Individualism"

7:00-9:30 Dinner

For more information about the workshop or to receive advanced copies of the workshop papers, email David Hershenov at dh25@buffalo.edu

SEPTEMBER 2022 WORKSHOP PROGRAM (subject to change)
Saturday, September 17, 2022

LOCATION: CAPEN HALL 107
9:30 a.m. to 5:50 p.m. 

9:30–10:30 Alex Gillham. (Saint Bonaventure). " Abortion and Greater Impairment”

10:30-10:45 Break

10:45-11:45 Pat Daly (Boston College, Lonergan Institute) “Disordered Subjectivity”

11:45-1:45 Lunch

1:45-2:45 Travis Timmerman (Romanell Center/Seton Hall University) “A Paradox about the Counterfactual Comparative Account of Harm.”

2:45-3:00. Break

3:00-4:00 Hyemi Yun (UB Grad Student) Topic: Comparison of Parfitian and Buddhist Accounts of Personal identity

4:00-4:15 Break

4:15-6:15 Keynote Address: Dave Shoemaker/Shaun Nichols (Cornell). “The Point of Personal Identity.”

7:00 Dinner

For more information about the workshop or to receive advanced copies of the workshop papers, email David Hershenov at dh25@buffalo.edu

AUGUST 2022 WORKSHOP PROGRAM (subject to change)
Saturday, August 13, 2022
NOTE LOCATION:
CAPEN HALL 107,  9:00 a.m. to 5:50 p.m. 

The Doctrine of Double Effect Panel

9:00-9:50 Steve Kershnar – SUNY Professor Suspendus (Via Zoom from ROME Conference) “Double Effect Theorists Have Contempt for People’s Rights. Shame on Them.” 

9:50-10:00 Break.

10:00-10:50 Chris Tollefsen - University of South Carolina - “Double Effect and Universalizability.”

10:50-11:00 Break

11:00-11:50 Chris Kaczor - Loyola Marymount University "Double Effect Reasoning and Lethal Organ Donation "

11:50-12:00 Break

12:00-12:50 Phil Reed (Ex-philosopher, Dean of Canisius College)  “Why Opponents of Double Effect Accept Double Effect Without Intending To”

1:00-3:00 Lunch

Hylomorphism vs Animalism Panel

3:00-3:50 Jason Eberl – Saint Louis University “Hylomorphic Animals Are Not Animalist Animals”

3:50-4:00 Break

4:00-4:50 Patrick Toner – Wake Forest University “Substance Dualism and Animalism"  

4:50-5:00 Break

5:00-5:50  Jeremy Skrzypek (Ohio Dominican University) “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle: Animalism vs. Hylomorphism”

Contact David Hershenov via email   dh25@buffalo.edu  for advance copies of the workshop papers.

SUMMER PROGRAM
Saturday, July 9, 2022
Park Hall 141,  9:30am to 6:15pm

9:30–10:30 Steve Kershnar (Romanell Fellow/SUNY Fredonia) “Proportionality in Self-Defense and Vaccination-Mandates”

10:30-10:45 Break

10:45-11:45 Carter Benson (University at Buffalo Graduate Student). Topic: The Ethics of Vaccine Mandates

11:45-1:45 Lunch

1:45-2:45 David Hershenov (Romanell Fellow/University at Buffalo) ‘Why Hybrid Accounts of Personal Identity Can’t Prevent the Counterintuitive Bioethical Consequences of Neo-Lockean and Animalist Accounts”

2:45-3:00. Break

3:00-4:00 James Cordeiro (Pembroke College, Oxford/SUNY Brockport). "Ectogestation-Based Contracting as a Basis for Compromise in Parental Disputes over Abortion?"

4:00-4:15 Break

4:15-6:15 Keynoter - Jessica Flanigan (Richmond) “Natalism and the Ethics of Having Children”

Contact David Hershenov via email   dh25@buffalo.edu  for advance copies of the workshop papers.

SATURDAY WORKSHOP PROGRAM (subject to change)
May 28, 2022
Park Hall 141,  9:30am to 6:15pm

9:30–10:30 Catherine Nolan (Romanell Center Fellow/Belmont Abbey) “Aristotle's Understanding of the Sexes”

10:30-10:45 Break

10:45-11:45. David Hershenov: (Romanell Fellow/UB) “An Alternative to the Rational Substance Pro-Life View”

11:45-1:45 Lunch. Santora’s Grill.

1:45-2:45 Pat Daly (Boston College Lonergan Institute). “Health and Normativity”

2:45-3:00 Break

3:00-4:00. Steve Kershnar (Romanell Fellow/SUNY Fredonia) "Right Supremacy: How Rights Relate to Desert, Dignity, Duties, Equality, and Intention."

4:00-4:15 Break

4:15-6:15 Keynote Lecture. Alex Pruss. (Baylor University) Topic: Natural Law, Vagueness, and Bioethics

Contact David Hershenov at dh25@buffalo.edu for advance copies of the workshop papers.

SATURDAY WORKSHOP PROGRAM (subject to change)
April 30 2022
Park Hall 141,  9:30am to 6:15pm

9:30–10:30 Neil Feit (Romanell Center/ SUNY Fredonia) "Plural Harm and a Problem with Posthumous Harm."

10:30-10:45 Break

10:45-11:45 Travis Timmerman (Romanell Center/Seton Hall). “Comparing Infinitely Valuable Lives”

11:45-1:45 Lunch

1:45-2:45 Elizabeth Victor (William Paterson University) “A Defense of Nonideal Approaches to Bioethics”

2:45-3:00 Break

3:00-4:00. Kurt Blankschaen (Daemon College) Topic: Natural Law and Trans-Identity

4:00-4:15 Break

4:15-6:15  Keynote Lecture. Melissa Moschella (Catholic University.) "Contextualizing, Clarifying and Defending the Doctrine of Double Effect." 

Contact David Hershenov at dh25@buffalo.edu for advance copies of the workshop papers.

SATURDAY WORKSHOP PROGRAM (subject to change)
March 19, 2022
Park Hall 141,  9:30am to 6:15pm

9:30 am – 10:30 am Jonathan Vajda (UB Grad Student) “Transformative Therapies, the Binary, and Morality”

10:30 -10:45 Break

10:45-11:45 Chris Tollefsen (University of South Carolina). “Whose Body?”

11:45-1:45 Lunch

1:45-2:45 Stephen Kershnar (SUNY Fredonia). ‘Corrective Justice Collapses: On the Foundation of Medical Malpractice Law.’

2:45-3:00 Break

3:00-4:00 Eric Merrell (UB Grad Student) “The Autonomy of Autonomous AI”

4:00-4:15 Break

4:15-6:15 Keynote Lecture. Patrick Lee (Franciscan University) ‘The Limits of the Political Conception of Common Good’

Contact David Hershenov at dh25@buffalo.edu for advance copies of the workshop papers.