Association for Practical and Professional Ethics Intercollegiate Ethics Bowl®

The Intercollegiate Ethics Bowl (IEB) is sponsored by the Association for Practical and Professional Ethics (APPE), and is designed as a competition to test (undergraduate) students’ grasp of complex ethical issues and their ability to engage in critical thinking and civil discourse. Every fall, the Mines team prepares for the Rocky Mountain Regional Competition, which takes place in November. Mines has sent a team to Nationals five times since 2015.

Recruiting for the Mines Ethics Bowl Team takes place early in fall semester. Students can participate in several ways: as presenters at competition, as researchers, or as organizers. The team works through fall, and if we earn a bid to Nationals, we also work in spring semester. We typically meet 4 hours/week through competition, although many students meet on their own as well. Team meetings often involve pizza.

If you are interested in learning more about the Mines Ethics Bowl team, contact Sandy Woodson at swoodson@mines.edu.

Information about APPE and IEB can be found here: https://www.appe-ethics.org/about-ethics-bow

University Ethics Scholars


Established in 2018, University Ethics Scholars are recognized for their dedication to exploring ethics/ethical issues. Each scholar has completed at least one formal ethics course, and has represented Mines at the Association for Practical and Professional Ethics-Intercollegiate Ethics Bowl.

These scholars are recognized at graduation and on their transcripts.

 

2018
  • Ian Kramer, Mechanical Engineering
  • Hannah Grover, Mechanical Engineering
2019
  • Amara Hazlewood, Chemical Engineering
  • Parker Bolstad, Environmental Engineering
  • Beatrice Eunice Uy, Mechanical Engineering
  • Ashanafe Geberkidane, Petroleum Engineering
2020
  • Meghan Anderson, Electrical Engineering
2021
  • David Churchwell, Geophysics

“Not only was Ethics Bowl a great way to participate in meaningful activities on campus and develop close relationships with my classmates and professors, it provided a forum to engage in and discuss some of the most challenging ethical and philosophical dilemmas we face today. Ethics bowl truly changed my perspective on how to approach difficult issues, encouraged me to promote empathetic dialogue, trained me to think critically and form logical arguments, and pushed me to consider opposing points of view, all of which are skills that are increasingly important and continue to serve me in my professional career and personal life.”

Ian Kramer

BS '17, MS '18 in Mechanical Engineering, Ball Aerospace

“Participating in the Ethics Bowl was a cornerstone of my time at Mines. Being able to engage with deep, often unsolvable, questions with students who weren’t afraid to take a stand led to well-earned logic-based headaches and pizza-fueled laughs. More importantly, it fine-tuned a skill set based in logic, cultural understanding, and patience, something that serves me well each day.”

Sean Patrick McGinley

BS Mechanical Engineering '17, JD, Boston College, '19

“The Association for Practical and Professional Ethics is an international organization dedicated promoting ethics in the professions. APPE has sponsored the Intercollegiate Ethics Bowl for over 25 years, and the National Intercollegiate Ethics Bowl is held during APPE’s annual conference.”