Celebrating 10 Top Stories from 2018

As we prepare to welcome 2019, the Berman Institute is grateful for a wonderful 2018 and to all the generous supporters who helped make the year so successful. Join us in looking back at 10 of the Berman Institute’s many highlights in 2018.

1. Through a transformational $15 million gift, Dr. Alexander Levi and his wife Vicki established the Ruth R. Faden Endowment for Education in Bioethics.
2. Berman Institute faculty produced groundbreaking work and advanced scholarly understanding of bioethics, publishing almost 200 journal articles, books, and chapters.
3. Johns Hopkins University President Ron Daniels announced that the Berman Institute will expand both physically and in the scope of its work as a major part of a new multidisciplinary building to be named for Henrietta Lacks.
4. The PREVENT Working Group, led by Berman faculty Ruth Faden and Carleigh Krubiner, received international attention for the release of its new Guidance document: “Pregnant Women & Vaccines Against Emerging Epidemic Threats: Ethics Guidance for Preparedness, Research, and Response.”
5. Berman Institute faculty offered bioethics insight and analysis to journalists from a wide range of media outlets including NPR, the New York Times, the Washington Post, the Wall Street Journal, National Geographic and dozens more.
6. The JHU Exploration of Practical Ethics program awarded $350,000 in grants to seven new projects that go beyond the traditional purview of bioethics to explore critically important ethical issues that require multi-disciplinary expertise and take in areas like Artificial Intelligence, robotics, food production, and humanitarian aid.
7. Through its yearlong seminar series, a monthly discussion series about ethics in clinical practice, and endowed lectures and symposia, the Berman Institute engaged wide-ranging audiences in thoughtful discussion of contemporary bioethics issues.
8. Our PhD students received national recognition and support for their emerging scholarship, including Michael DiStefano receiving the 2018 American Society for Bioethics & Humanities Student Paper Award.
9. The Berman Institute launched a redesigned new website, improving its look and function and enhancing understanding of the Institute’s mission and bioethics in general, all while increasing the visibility of our programs.
10. The Masters in Bioethics Program awarded degrees to a graduating class of eight students and finalized a joint MBE/JD degree offering with the University of Maryland School of Law.

On behalf of the Berman Institute’s faculty, students and staff, thank you for making 2018 such a memorable year. We look forward to more great stories in 2019!