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Five members of the Ethics Bowl Team posing for a group picture.The UAB Philosophy Department sponsors a team that competes each year in the Intercollegiate Ethics Bowl under the auspices of the Association for Practical and Professional Ethics. The Intercollegiate Ethics Bowl team is open to undergraduate students and is coached by Dr. Keshav Singh. A separate Bioethics Bowl Team is only for students who had been admitted to the Early Medical School Acceptance Program (EMSAP) when they entered UAB.  Coached by Dr. Gregory Pence of the Philosophy Department, this team competes for the Bioethics Bowl Championship held in conjunction with the National Undergraduate Bioethics Conference.

In preparation for competitions, students prepare analyses of 15 ethics cases during the semester. For the competition, they comment on the presentations of others and respond to judges’ questions about the positions they endorse. Competitive success requires knowledge of ethical theory, understanding practical details of cases, as well as succinct synthesis of the arguments and questions of others.

The Ethics Bowl team is reformed at the start of each Fall semester. If you are interested in trying out for the team, contact Dr. Singh (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) for further information.

Previous Ethics Bowl Teams

  • 2019 Bioethics Bowl Championship Team

    2019 Bioethics Bowl Championship Team

  • 2nd place at Nationals 2019

    2nd place at Nationals 2019

  • 2017 Ethics Bowl Team

    2017 Ethics Bowl Team

  • 2017 Final Four Bioethics Bowl Team

    2017 Final Four Bioethics Bowl Team

  • 2016 Ethics Bowl Team

    2016 Ethics Bowl Team

  • 2016 Bioethics Bowl Team

    2016 Bioethics Bowl Team

  • 2015 National Championship Bioethics Bowl Team

    2015 National Championship Bioethics Bowl Team

  • 2014 Ethics Bowl Team

    2014 Ethics Bowl Team

  • 2011 National Championship Bioethics Bowl Team

    2011 National Championship Bioethics Bowl Team

  • 2010 National Championship Ethics Bowl Team

    2010 National Championship Ethics Bowl Team

  • 2009 Ethics Bowl Team

    2009 Ethics Bowl Team

  • Ethics Bowl Team practice

    Ethics Bowl Team practice

  • 2021

    2021

    The UAB Bioethics Bowl team took second place at the National Bioethics Bowl Championship, which was hosted by Oklahoma State University on April 10. The team qualified for the national championship along with teams from Georgetown, Baylor, Gonzaga, and Boston College.

  • 2019

    2019

    The UAB Bioethics Bowl team were crowned champions at the National Bioethics Bowl Championship. UAB defeated Georgetown University in the final match at the University of South Alabama to secure its third bioethics championship in eight years. The Ethics Bowl team competed in the Southeast Regionals in Fall 2018 and advanced to the Nationals. Hundreds of teams compete across the country in the regional competitions, but only 36 went on to Nationals. At the National competition in Baltimore in Spring 2019, the UAB team won 2nd place.

  • 2018

    2018

    After competing in the Southeast Regionals in Fall 2017, the Ethics Bowl team advanced to the National competition in Chicago in Spring 2018.

  • 2017

    2017

    In 2017, and the UAB Bioethics Bowl team participated in the Bioethics Bowl at Weber State University in Ogden, Utah and finished in the Final Four.

  • 2016

    2016

    In 2016, with new coach Dr. Josh May, the UAB Ethics Bowl team participated in the Southeast Regional in Orlando, Florida and the UAB Bioethics Bowl team participated in the Bioethics Bowl at Case Western University, where it came in 8th.

  • 2015

    2015

    UAB won the National Bioethics Bowl Championship in Tallahassee, Florida, beating a great team of pre-law students from Samford University by 1 point.

    The Ethics Bowl team, after competing in the Southeast regional competition, advanced to the national Intercollegiate College Ethics Bowl competition in Los Angeles.

  • 2014

    2014

    UAB sent a Bioethics Bowl team to the National Undergraduate Bioethics Conference at Loyola University in Chicago. Several other UAB students also attended the conference and gave presentations on issues in bioethics.

  • 2012

    2012

    UAB sent two teams to the Southeastern regional. The senior team advanced to the National Championship, and the freshmen team won two of its three matches. At the National tournament, UAB lost in the quarterfinals to DePauw University. Although DePauw did not win the tournament, they won the 2012 National Bioethics Bowl Championship the next month.

  • 2011

    2011

    The team did not qualify for the national competition. Determined to debate, the team reformed itself and entered the National Bioethics Bowl Championship at Duke University. Composed of veterans Mallick Hossain and Rachael Rosales and newcomers Kevin Kiang, Majaliwa Mzombwe, and Aditi Jani, the team won the 2011 National Championship in Bioethics.

  • 2010

    2010

    Philosophy students have always played important roles on the UAB ethics debate teams. Philosophy majors Mallick Hossain, Christopher Graves, Rachael Rosales, and Ayushe Sharma comprised four of five members of the 2010 team. It was one of five teams from the Southeast Region to make the National Finals, in which 32 teams from 10 regions competed. The UAB team captured the National Championship, becoming the Cinderella team of the tournament.


Ethics Bowl Testimonials


  • This is what college is all about .... Being on a team that thrives when creative minds come together for a common purpose.

    Sam Fry

  • The cases of Ethics Bowl reflect real-world issues and tackling these problems equips you with the tools to face similar challenges in your professional career.

    Kevin Yang

  • Not only did Bioethics Bowl allow me to examine the morals and ethical ideals of others, but to reflect on my own morals and ethical standpoints.

    Kaitlin Burge

 

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