Pre-2016: Innovation Group Grant and COMPAS

Autumn 2009: CEHV Selected for Innovation Group Grant

In autumn 2009 the Office of Research and Office of Academic Affairs awarded an Innovation Group Grant to an interdisciplinary group of 35 faculty members, led by principal investigator Don Hubin (Professor of Philosophy), to support the development of a university-wide Center for Ethics and Human Values. Out of 24 proposals, the Center was one of only three to receive this competitive grant.

As Professor Hubin described the Center’s founding mission in the Department of Philosophy’s newsletter, “Our vision is to create a center that is focused on foundational moral questions that underlie many moral issues confronting the world, our country, and each of us, as individuals. [...] We are convinced that there is value in bringing together researchers with diverse ‘applied’ interests as well as scholars who are focused on the more abstract, philosophical issues to learn from each other.”

AY 2011-12: Inaugural COMPAS Program on Immigration

In the year following the awarding of the Innovation Group Grant, several focus groups were established to develop the work of the proposed Center for Ethics and Human Values. One focus group, led by philosopher Piers Turner and political scientists Eric MacGilvray and Michael Neblo, developed a plan for a year-long, interdisciplinary, university-wide program on immigration, comprising two major conferences and six additional colloquia. This would become the inaugural Conversations on Morality, Politics and Society (COMPAS) Program. The program aimed to support interdisciplinary engagement on underlying moral and social challenges while modelling the benefits of informed civil discourse across ideological and disciplinary differences.

Following the success of the inaugural Immigration COMPAS, the program resumed in the 2013-14 academic year with a second year-long, interdisciplinary series of events on the theme of “public and private.” COMPAS would return in 2015-16 on the topic of sustainability, and then every academic year thereafter, each year on a different timely theme.

2016-19: Official Establishment and New Programs

Spring 2016: Official Establishment of Center for Ethics and Human Values

In March 2016, the University Senate voted unanimously to approve the establishment of the Center for Ethics and Human Values (CEHV) as a university center, under the leadership of philosopher Don Hubin (Director), with Piers Turner as chair of the steering committee. Steven Brown was soon hired as the first Associate Director.

Spring 2016: First CEHV Postdoctoral Scholar

Shortly after its official founding, CEHV hired its first postdoctoral scholar, Corey Katz, for a two-year appointment to continue the work of the Sustainability COMPAS Program. Katz’s appointment marked the launch of CEHV’s Postdoctoral Program in Public Philosophy.  

Spring 2017: Amartya Sen Delivers First Distinguished Lecture in Ethics

Nobel Laureate economist Amartya Sen delivered CEHV’s inaugural Distinguished Lecture in Ethics in April 2017. In every academic year hence, this CEHV program has brought leading thinkers to Ohio State who have been influential outside of the academy in addition to having made groundbreaking contributions to ethics or political philosophy. 

2019-21: CARE and Other New Initiatives

Spring 2019: Launch of Conservations About Research Ethics (CARE)

Under the leadership of Assistant Professor Dana Howard (Division of Bioethics), CEHV’s CARE Program launched in spring semester 2019 with a series of monthly interdisciplinary conversations on topics in research ethics, including conflicts of interest and disclosure, reproducibility, research in humanitarian crises, and the researcher as advocate. Monthly CARE Panels have continued to be held every semester since the program’s launch, encompassing an ever-expanding breadth of timely and relevant topics in research ethics.

Summer 2019: Piers Turner Assumes Directorship of CEHV 

In the summer of 2019, Associate Professor Piers Turner became the new Director of CEHV, following the retirement of Don Hubin, with philosopher Kate McFarland assuming the role of Associate Director. 

Autumn 2019: First CEHV/Pharmacy Postdoctoral Research

In autumn semester 2019 philosopher Trevor Hedberg joined Ohio State as the first CEHV/College of Pharmacy Postdoctoral Researcher in Applied Ethics. During his three-year appointment, Hedberg taught core ethics courses in the College of Pharmacy while pursuing research through CEHV.

Spring 2020: CARE Training Program Begins

Building on CEHV’s Conversations About Research Ethics (CARE) panel discussions, and also under the leadership of Dana Howard, the ongoing CARE Training Program in the Responsible Conduct of Research trained its first cohort of Ohio State faculty, graduate and professional students, and postdocs in spring semester 2020.

The CARE Training Program was designed to provide one of Ohio State’s approved courses for meeting the Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) requirements of the National Institute of Health, while providing unique insight and engagement with research ethics due to being multidisciplinary, foundational, exploratory, and ethicist-led.

Spring 2020: Launch of Ethics Circle

Spring semester 2020 saw the first group of seven Ohio State students, staff, and faculty members complete CEHV’s Ethics Circle training and mentorship program. The launch of the Ethics Circle program was accompanied by the launch of the Drake Institute’s “Teaching Ethics and Human Values” Endorsement, which six members of the inaugural Ethics Circle cohort also completed. The Ethics Circle program continued for the next two academic years, facilitating ethics-related projects developed by 21 members of the Ohio State community from ten different colleges and offices.

Spring 2021: ETHOS Fellows Program Begins

In spring semester 2021 CEHV launched the ETHOS Fellows Program in support of Ohio State’s Shared Values Initiative, and facilitated its first cohort of ETHOS Fellows in thinking about how to implement the Shared Values in their own work at the university. Since this time, the ETHOS program has trained a total 122 fellows from dozens of units and all of the Ohio State campuses.

2021-present: Civil Discourse, Curricular Developments, Student Programs and More

Autumn 2021: Civil Discourse for Citizenship Inaugurated with “4Cs”

Under the leadership of Piers Turner and Eric MacGilvray, and building on the values driving the success of the CEHV’s COMPAS Program, CEHV’s Civil Discourse for Citizenship program was launched in autumn semester 2021 with the introduction of the “4Cs” framework: Be Curious, Be Charitable, Be Conscientious, and Be Constructive. This framework was developed in collaboration with six different undergraduate groups at Ohio State.

CEHV also received a generous grant from the Derrow Family Foundation to develop its work promoting civil discourse throughout the university community.  

Spring 2022: First Cohort of Undergraduate Civil Discourse Fellows

The Civil Discourse for Citizenship program ramped up in spring semester when it welcomed its first cohort of Buckeye undergraduate Civil Discourse Fellows. Eight fellows were chosen from a competitive pool of 45 applicants to plan and moderate Civil Discourse Forums, featuring guest panelists with contrasting viewpoints on controversial topics of contemporary social and political importance, and to serve as ambassadors for civil discourse on campus. The first student-moderated Civil Discourse Forums were also held in April 2022: “Should Open Societies Have Open Borders?” and “Can Markets be Immoral?”   

Summer 2022: Aaron Yarmel Hired as Associate Director

In the summer of 2022 CEHV welcomed philosopher Aaron Yarmel as its new Associate Director, expanding CEHV’s work in civil discourse, dialogue facilitation, and outreach.

Autumn 2022: Launch of COMPAS Course 

Autumn semester 2022 saw the launch of the CEHV-designed course Conversations on Morality, Politics, and Society (ARTSSCI 2400/2400E) – or the “COMPAS course” for short – as part of its Civil Discourse for Citizenship initiative.

Summer 2023: Kathryn Joyce Joins as Civil Discourse Initiative Program Director

In the summer of 2023 philosopher Kathryn Joyce joined CEHV in the newly created role of Civil Discourse Initiative Program Director to lead the Center’s ever-expanding work in civil discourse and foster connections with existing student programs and other partners at Ohio State.

Autumn 2023: “Practicing Civil Discourse for Citizenship” Certificate Program

Under the leadership of Kathryn Joyce, CEHV launched a new certificate program for Buckeye undergraduate students, and welcomed its first cohort, in autumn semester 2023: the Practicing Civil Discourse for Citizenship certificate recognizes students who develop skills in civil discourse through a combination of coursework, event attendance and opportunities to participate in a wide range of co-curricular programming.

Spring 2024: “Ethical Disagreement and Civil Discourse” Teaching Endorsement

In spring semester 2024 CEHV welcomed its inaugural cohort of participants in its newest teaching endorsement program for Ohio State faculty, staff, graduate students, and postdocs: the teaching endorsement in Ethical Disagreement and Civil Discourse, offered in in partnership with the Drake Institute for Teaching and Learning. Since this launch, the teaching endorsement program has been completed by 37 instructors and student program directors from all corners of the university, including nine different colleges. 

Spring 2024: Free Online Course on Civil Discourse Released

Also in spring semester 2024, CEHV’s Civil Discourse for Citizenship initiative saw yet another expansion with the release of the free Scarlet Canvas course “The 4Cs: Virtues of Civil Discourse,” produced in partnership with the College of Arts and Sciences’ Office of Distance Education. The asynchronous online “4Cs” course is available both to students and employees of Ohio State and to the general public.

Spring 2024: CEHV Sponsors Undergraduate Student Research Awards  

CEHV sponsored its first awards for Buckeye undergraduate student researchers in the 2023-24 academic year. Two different awards, the Center for Ethics and Human Values Award and Civil Discourse for Citizenship Award were presented to outstanding student researchers at the Denman Undergraduate Research Forum in March 2024.

Autumn 2024: First Civil Discourse for Citizenship Postdoctoral Researcher

In 2024 CEHV created a new postdoc position with the support of the Derrow Family Foundation. In the same year, philosopher Kyle Stroh joined Ohio State as CEHV’s first Civil Discourse for Citizenship Postdoctoral Researcher. 

Autumn 2024: First Ohio State “Ethics Bowl” Teams Compete in Regionals

In 2024 CEHV members Sally Moore, Naomi Scheinerman, and Kathryn Joyce convened the Ohio State University’s first-ever student Intercollegiate Ethics Bowl teams. The two Ohio State teams made their competitive debut at the Regional Competition in November 2025, both placing in the top ten.

Autumn 2024: Launch of Dorm Dialogues 

Dorm Dialogues (now Donuts and Dialogues) was launched as an ongoing series during the 2024-25 academic year, under the leadership of Aaron Yarmel with financial support from Housing and Residential Education. This biweekly series engages Ohio State undergraduate students in facilitated dialogues about ethical issues that arise in the context of living in dorms. 

Spring 2025: First Annual Workshop on Democracy and Social Change

In February 2025 CEHV hosted its first annual Workshop on Democracy and Social Change, organized by Sahar Heydari Fard. The weekend-long event brought leading researchers to join Ohio State philosophers and political theorists to discuss themes related to civil discourse and pluralistic democratic society.

Spring 2025: New “Civil Discourse for Citizenship” Academic Certificate

CEHV and its Civil Discourse for Citizenship initiative launched the Center’s newest academic certificate program for Ohio State undergraduate students in spring semester 2025. The new 12-credit Civil Discourse for Citizenship (CIVDC1B-CR) certificate will appear on students’ transcripts like an academic minor.

Summer 2025: Winston Thompson Assumes CEHV Directorship

In the summer of 2025, CEHV entered its newest phase welcoming Professor Winston Thompson (Education Studies) as the Center’s new Director.