As the fall semester gets underway, the Kegley Institute of Ethics (KIE) is gearing up for many conversations, lectures and important dialogues on pressing ethical topics, not only for California State University, Bakersfield, but for the greater Kern County community and beyond.
Traditionally, while most KIE events have been held on the CSUB campus, the Institute has pivoted to hold a series of free and open online events that are meant to inform, educate, and bring our community together in conversation. Attendees can join these events via the designated Zoom links for each event.
Dr. Burroughs noted, “during the COVID-19 pandemic it is even more important that we find ways to remain connected as a community. KIE is devoted to serving our campus and greater community through impactful and engaging events on topics ranging from ethical leadership and incarceration to medical ethics and resisting hate-based extremist movements. We invite all to join us and be part of these timely conversations.”
Kaiser Permanente Bioethics and Medical Humanities Speaker Series
On Thursday, Sept. 10, 6 p.m., KIE hosted the first annual event in the Kaiser Permanente Bioethics and Medical Humanities Speaker Series, titled “Ethics and COVID-19: A Moderated Conversation.” The conversation addressed ethical issues, including the COVID-19 pandemic, racial and ethnic disparities in health outcomes and treatment trust in medical expertise, and the current experiences of health care providers.
Speakers for the event, included:
· Dr. Keisha Ray, an assistant professor at McGovern Medical School at University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston in Houston, Texas;
· Dr. Nimisha Amin, a pediatrician and pediatric nephrologist at Southwest Pediatrics in Bakersfield, CA; and
· Dr. Christopher Meyers, hospital ethicist for Kern Medical and Adventist Health Bakersfield.
The evening was moderated by Dr. Nate Olson, associate director of the Kegley Institute of Ethics and associate professor of philosophy at CSUB.
Panelists also took questions from the audience once the conversation has concluded.
You access the full video recording to this event here.
Ethics in Leadership
The aim of the KIE “Ethics in Leadership” event series is to engage with “impactful, ethical leaders in our community, focusing on their stories, inspirations and advice for developing leaders,” according to Dr. Burroughs.
This year’s conversation is set for Thursday, Sept. 24, 6 p.m., with Kern County Superintendent of Schools, Dr. Mary Barlow.
“Leadership in every sector has been tested in the past several months and education is no exception,” said Dr. Mary Barlow, Kern County Superintendent of Schools. “I’m appreciative to have the opportunity to be a part of this timely and relevant conversation."
Dr. Mary Barlow was appointed as Kern County Superintendent of Schools (KCSOS) in 2017, after serving as Associate Superintendent for two years. Dr. Barlow oversees the county office operated programs and supports divisions for 47 Kern County Districts, with over 190,000 students. Dr. Barlow has served the Kern County community in a variety of ways and is a board member for a number of statewide organizations.
“One of the best ways to learn about ethical and impactful leadership is to listen to the experiences and influences of experienced leaders in our own community. The Ethics in Leadership conversation and event with Dr. Mary Barlow will be a fascinating and impactful one. I encourage our community to join us and participate in the conversation,” said KIE director, Dr. Michael Burroughs.
Previous “Ethics in Leadership” events in this series have included interviews with former Bakersfield Police Department Chief Lyle Martin and CSUB President, Dr. Lynnette Zelezny.
An audience Q&A will follow the interview with Dr. Barlow.
Those interested in attending can click the Zoom link to join.
16th Annual Fall KIE Lecture
This year’s KIE Fall Lecture will be on Thursday, Oct. 29 at 6:30 p.m. with Christian Picciolini, focusing on a timely topic of working against white supremacist extremism and other extremist groups.
Christian Picciolini is an award-winning television producer, a public speaker, author, peace advocate and a former violent extremist. In 2016, Picciolini won an Emmy Award for producing an anti-hate advertising campaign aimed at helping people disengage from extremism. Through all of his work, Picciolini focuses on building greater peace through empathy and compassion with one another.
Picciolini’s most recent book, published in 2020, is titled “Breaking Hate: Confronting the New Culture of Extremisim” and focuses on his work in helping individuals to disengage from and leave hate-based extremist movements.
This event will be free and open to the public and Zoom information will be posted on the KIE website and on KIE social media.
Other events throughout the semester include Ethics in Film, in which KIE will partner with Campus Programming for a screening of the documentary “13th,” with a facilitated conversation to follow.
The documentary by filmmaker Ava Duvernay takes a closer look at the history of racial inequality in the United States, zeroing in on the nation’s prisons, and are disproportionately filled with African-Americans.
Another event, “Humanities Beyond Bars: Reimagining Public Safety,” will consist of a panel taking place on Friday, Nov. 20 at 5 p.m. The panel will include Dr. Brady Heiner, CSU Project Rebound Consortium; Romarilyn Ralston, CSU Fullerton Project Rebound Program.
For a preview of this conversation, listen to a recent episode – “On Mass Incarceration and Project Rebound” - of the KIE podcast, The Ethicist’s Corner, featuring a conversation with Dr. Heiner and Romarilyn Ralston.
The hope and mission of KIE’s events are to “inspire our community to recognize the value of thinking about and engaging in ethics.”
For the complete list of virtual events held this semester, visit csub.edu/kie . Event links will also be posted to the KIE website and social media channels leading up to the event. Contact KIE at ethics@csub.edu and learn more about KIE events and initiatives by following the Institute on Facebook, Twitter (@KegleyEthics), and Instagram (@kegleyethics).
To hear more from KIE speakers and local community leaders, explore the KIE’s podcast The Ethicist’s Corner (available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, SoundCloud, and iHeartRadion) which features discussions with community and national leaders and people from diverse walks of life about the influences that shaped them and their careers, the role of ethics in their personal and professional lives, and their leadership experiences.