News from The Center: A Welcome Visitor

The nascent New Year has proved an incredibly busy time for The National Catholic Bioethics Center. While there is much to tell (and I assure you, much will be forthcoming!), one event this week was cause for particular excitement at The NCBC. 

On Monday, January 14th, The National Catholic Bioethics Center had the honor of meeting and hosting an important visitor: Dr. G. Kevin Donovan, the new Director of the Center for Clinical Bioethics at Georgetown University. 

Dr. Donovan, a pediatrician and bioethicist, was the founder and first director of the Oklahoma Bioethics Center at the University of Oklahoma School of Medicine in Tulsa; he has just recently undertaken direction of the CCB at Georgetown. The meeting provided valuable time for Dr. Donovan to get a good sense of the inner workings of an institution like The NCBC and The NCBC staff were delighted to meet a fellow bioethicists whose dedication to Catholic Medical Ethics is concomitant with their own. 

Dr. G. Kevin Donovan (Center)
and The NCBC Staff Ethicists.

The Ethicists all met for a brief lunch and, afterward, Dr. Donovan was given a tour of The NCBC offices, which are located in an historic Philadelphia home.

Dr. Donovan was excited to see The Center and meet the staff; he spent a good deal of time speaking with NCBC President Dr. Haas about shared interests and the common mission enjoined upon all Catholic Bioethicists and Medical Practitioners.

Dr. Donovan and NCBC President Dr. John Haas

Dr. Donovan concluded his visit with an interview and I had the pleasure of speaking with him at length. He explained his idea of the meaning and purpose of bioethics as an inextricable aspect of Medicine and the importance of Catholic Medical Ethics. He also discussed his hopes and expectations as he undertakes his new role at Georgetown University. The full interview will be posted soon, so stay tuned!

All in all, the visit proved a success!
The National Catholic Bioethics Center is gratified to have hosted such an important individual in the bioethics sphere and, ultimately, to have found a friend in Dr. Kevin Donovan.