The Institute for Ethics and the Common Good (ECG) has selected 14 University of Notre Dame sophomores to join its Ethics Research Fellowship (ERF) program . These students were chosen through a competitive process assessing each applicant’s research interests, interdisciplinary experience, and ability to contribute to an intellectual community. The incoming students join 26 returning fellows, including 13 fellows beginning both their second and third years.
The ERF program exists to give Notre Dame students interested in pursuing academic research in applied ethics the tools to advance their unique research vision. After a sophomore year fall break trip to England to visit some of the world’s most renowned universities and learn about the vibrancy of global academic research, students receive one-on-one mentorship and academic support to bring their own scholarly research projects to fruition. Beginning with a review of the existing research landscape in their area of interest, students are encouraged to identify a gap in existing scholarship to address through their research, helping to make real progress in their chosen academic field.
"As an institute, we couldn't be more excited to welcome this talented cohort of fellows into our community,” said Jeff Tolly, associate director of education and student research at ECG. “We can't wait to see their growth as these ethics researchers take flight."
The ERF program is designed to follow a three-year sequence of discernment, adventure, and impact. Fellows start by identifying a compelling ethical question as a research focus. Past fellows have carried out independent research on a wide range of ethical issues including patient autonomy in global healthcare contexts, responses to religious nationalism in local communities, and the role of nuclear weapons in international relations. During their second year, with the support of dedicated research grant funding, fellows are encouraged to travel to local communities to immerse themselves fully in their field of research. As seniors, fellows conclude their experience by writing a fully researched thesis.
The ERF program is built on the conviction that long-term research on the world’s toughest ethical problems will undoubtedly impact the researcher at a personal level, and the program aims to accompany students through this period of personal reflection and discernment.
“Through the ERF program, I found a space to think seriously, challenge my assumptions, and pursue questions I might never have encountered otherwise, within my own discipline and far beyond it,” said former fellow Meera Bhakta ’26, who conducted field research in Gujarat, India. “The fellowship fundamentally shaped how I understand research, not only as a way to generate knowledge, but as an opportunity to listen better, bear witness, and think more deeply about the dignity of the people behind the questions we ask.”
Fellows receive a stipend for their participation in the program and are incorporated into ECG's roster of events and activities during the academic year, including guest lectures, research workshops, film screenings, and community gatherings.
Learn more about ECG's undergraduate Ethics Research Fellowship program.
INCOMING COHORT
Anneka Anderson - Theology, Global Affairs
Danny Baribeau - Program of Liberal Studies
Gabrielle Campbell - Economics, Political Science
Cecilia Connor -History, Chinese
Ada Duru Ak - Global Affairs
Gilbertly Granados - Political Science, Sociology
Emma Hurley - English, Psychology
Caedmon Kelley - Preprofessional Studies
Alexa Luna - Political Science, Latino Studies, Data Science
Henry Mahler - Economics, Chinese
Laurel O’Brien - English, Psychology
Jamison Shears - Political Science, Preprofessional Studies
Cecilia Marmori Soliz - Political Science, Chemical Engineering
Max Speaks - Philosophy, Gender Studies
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Visit the ECG fellowship page to see the full list of Ethics Research Fellows. This program receives generous support from Lilly Endowment Inc. and Wake Forest’s Educating Character Initiative.