Introductions

Dear Students,
Welcome to Bioethics. I think you are going to learn a lot, work hard, and enjoy this class. We'll talk about many topics you already think you know and others that are fresh and new. You'll improve your analytic thinking skills, your active listening abilities, and develop your empathetic capacities for seeing many sides of each issue.

Let's start by introducing ourselves, so we can jump on in to some engaged dialogue about these serious philosophical topics.

I'm your professor--Cate Sherron. Please call me "Dr. Cate." I have been teaching bioethics (also called medical ethics) for over 10 years--as long as I have been at TMC. I studied medical ethics as an undergraduate at Miami University--I have a Bachelor of Philosophy in Interdisciplinary Studies focusing in medical ethics (a mouthful, eh?). I loved medical ethics so much, I went to graduate school to continue my studies, finishing an MA in medical ethics at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville. I switched to philosophy of science studies for my Ph.D., but have never lost my interest in medical ethics.

Other relevant information about me.... last year I conducted a workshop in medical ethics for the medical social workers at Cincinnati's Children's Hospital. I sit on the ethics board for Hospice of the Bluegrass. (Apparently I am a part of one of those notorious "death panels"--we can talk more about that in class!!). I am also a volunteer with Hospice, as part of what is called the 11th Hour Program--I sit with actively dying patients who have no one else to be with them.

My other non-academic interests include travel, hosting foreign exchange students, swing dancing, mountain biking, singing, cooking, reading, and gardening.

I am very much looking forward to having class with you.