John Pijanowski, Ph.D.
Associate Professor and Co-Director of the Wally Cordes Cetner for Teaching and Faculty Suppor Services
University of Arkansas
Prof. Pijanowski’s research focuses on how people translate moral thinking into moral action. He is currently leading a National Science Foundation-funded effort to develop ethics curriculum and teaching guides for future scientists across the United States. He teaches several ethics courses including The Moral Mind in Action, Moral Courage, Teaching Character, and Leadership Ethics.
While much of ethics training for scientists focuses on learning the rules of ethical research, there is little education on how to behave more ethically. Building moral habits is critical for realizing moral courage in moments of crisis. Even when thoughtful deliberation leads to a moral solution to the dilemma before them, people tend to be better at knowing what is right, than they are at doing what is right. Ethical dilemmas bring a wide range of social, cultural and cognitive obstacles to bear on a person’s value system, and it is in those times that their moral habits are most influential in revealing character. In this presentation, we will discuss the current state of ethics education for researchers, and the evolving science of moral education. Participants will learn about breaking down independent elements of how students might approach a moral problem, strategies for approaching difficult decisions, and the critical role of failure in developing more reliable m oral habits.
Learn more about Dr.Pijanowski’s work at https://sites.google.com/site/pijanowskihome/