August 23, 2006
For Immediate Release
For an interview:
David Keller
(801) 863-6363
For additional information:
http://www.uvsc.edu/ethics/
College Marketing Contact:
Megan Laurie
(801) 863-7149
Written by:
Jessica Beck
(801) 863-7205
New Leadership Appointments in the Ethics Center
There have been two new appointments in the Center for the Study of Ethics at UVSC. Rick McDonald is the new Associate Director and Don LaVange has been appointed as the Executive Program Coordinator. The Ethics Center at UVSC was created in 1992 by the Board of Regents to promote the scholarship of interdisciplinary ethics at UVSC.
“Many people mistakenly think that the Ethics Center is a normal academic department with courses,” said David R. Keller, director of the Ethics Center and associate philosophy professor. “In fact, our main objective is to support scholarships and to provide forums for the public on various issues.”
Rick McDonald, who was appointed associate director August 16, is an associate professor in the Department of English and Literature. He looks forward to furthering ethics across the curriculum, especially as interdisciplinary ethics relates to the internet, the interpretation of texts and academic challenges at UVSC. McDonald will be replacing former associate director, Brian Birch, who has decided to step down from the position to focus on teaching and his position as Director of the Religious Studies Program.
Don LaVange, will replace Amanda Tamman Peterson, who recently moved to Boston to continue her education in graduate school. LaVange lived in Massachusetts and the San Francisco Bay Area before coming to Utah in 1983. After retiring from the computer software industry in 2001, LaVange began to take classes at UVSC. LaVange’s new duties include budget management and administration for the Ethics Center.
“Both of them are very resourceful and insightful people,” Keller said. “They will be a great asset for the Ethics Center and the campus community as we grow and evolve into a comprehensive institution of higher education.”
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