Program Leadership
The UPenn Master of Bioethics program is under the leadership of Dr. Autumn Fiester, Director of Graduate Studies, and Dr. Nora Jones, Associate Director of Graduate Studies. The program is supported by Ms. Robin Hartley.
Dr. Autumn Fiester
Autumn Fiester, PhD is the Director of Graduate Studies and Senior Fellow at the Center for Bioethics. She received her PhD in moral philosophy from the University of Pennsylvania and her MA in sociology from Harvard University. Her research interests include animals & bioethics, clinical professionalism, and moral theory.
Dr. Fiester is the instructor of both required MBE courses, "BIOE 601: Introduction to Bioethics" and "BIOE 602: Conceptual Foundations". In addition, Dr. Fiester also teaches elective courses, including "Ethical and Legal Issues at the End of Life" (download syllabus) and "Chimeras and Frankenpets: Ethical Issues in Animal Biotechnology" (download syllabus).
Click here to go to Dr. Fiester's homepage
Dr. Nora Jones
Nora Jones, PhD is the Associate Director of Graduate Studies and Senior Fellow at the Center for Bioethics. Dr. Jones is a visual anthropologist whose research focuses on the visual communication of science, the anthropology of the body, popular understandings of science, and culture and bioethics.
Dr. Jones teaches courses that focus on this intersection of bioethics and anthropology. Her recent courses include: "Specimen, Patient, & Spectacle: An Anthropological Look at the Body in Medicine" (download syllabus); "Bioethics at the Movies" (with Pamela Sankar); "Cultural Competency in Medicine" (download syllabus), "Through the Artist's Eye: Medicine, Power, and the Meaning of Illness" (download syllabus) and "Diviners, Healers, and Zombies: An Anthropological Look at Traditional Medicine."
Click here to go to Dr. Jones' homepage
Robin Hartley
Robin Hartley provides administrative support to the MBE program. Ms. Hartley has over 11 years experience at Penn, coming to the Center for Bioethics from the Wharton School. She is the first point of contact for prospective students and works with current students on the logistics of moving through the MBE degree.