Bioethics Project Cohort Selected in Highly Competitive Application Process

The Ethics Institute at Kent Place saw its most competitive application process ever for the Bioethics Project. Forty-five Upper School students applied for 2025–2026; 12 were selected for the 13th-annual program, managed in collaboration with the Kennedy Institute of Ethics at Georgetown University. 

The students in next year’s cohort are Anna Bulto ’26, Harli Glatt ’28, Ella Kerins ’28, Phoebe Krowitz ’26, Kate Lee ’26, Krisana Manglani ’28, Katie McKay ’27, Nisha Raval ’27, Jacquelyn Reig ’26, Talia Sarafian ’26, Sailee Shah ’28, and Vivienne Vengroff ’27.  

The Bioethics Project is a first-of-its-kind program in secondary schools and a signature program of the Ethics Institute. It’s modeled after the Hastings Center’s research methodology, which brings together stakeholders and experts to explore the ethical and social implications of a particular bioethical issue. The theme for next year is “Bioethics for Everyone: Issues in Public Health.” For the entire school year, students will investigate the ethical challenges of ensuring equitable access to health care, addressing social determinants of health, and analyzing community-wide health initiatives. 

Each student had to submit a written application about her interest in bioethics and next year’s theme, and then had to request a teacher recommendation. Afterward, each student reviewed a bioethical case before discussing it with the selection committee. 

The project will begin this summer, with a two-week intensive that introduces bioethics and the theme. During the course of the academic year, Bioethics students are paired with mentors from the Kennedy Institute of Ethics, who provide guidance on students’ individual topics and the ethical framework that must be taken into consideration throughout the research and writing processes. The contributions students make to the field of ethics are then presented at the Bioethics Project Symposium. 

“Congratulations to our 2025–2026 cohort of Bioethics students. We look forward to exploring issues in public health together,” said Karen Rezach, Director of the Ethics Institute, and Maura Crowe, lead Bioethics teacher. 

This year’s symposium — open to the public — is May 20, with the theme of "Women and Bioethics."