Graduate Students

 

Zahara Alzubaidi (she/her)

I am pursuing the accelerated BA/MA in Philosophy and Health Care Ethics. I have an interest in languages, and hope to be proficient in Arabic, Spanish, and Mandarin. My ethical interest is in medical translation and how cultural differences can affect a patient's medical needs. After graduating, I hope to go to medical school and eventually work to make healthcare more accessible to immigrant and refugee communities.  

Shannon-Claire Barnes (she/her)

I graduated from UofL in 2023 with a BA in philosophy and a minor in economics. I am a graduate student in the Health Care Ethics program pursuing my MA, as well as an instructor for the REACH tutoring center at UofL. My interests include feminist, disability, and reproductive justice within healthcare organizations, as well as continuous quality improvement. Post graduation in May 2024, I plan to pursue a fellowship in clinical ethics. 

Shannon K. Evans

Dr. Shannon K. Evans is a neonatologist in Louisville, Kentucky and is affiliated with multiple hospitals in the area, including Norton Children's Hospital and Clark Memorial Hospital. She received her medical degree from University of Utah School of Medicine and has been in practice between 6-10 years.

Cora Grief

I have a BS in Chemical Engineering and am pursuing an MA in Health Care Ethics. My interests in bioethics focus on the treatment of oppressed in

Wade Kelly (he/him)

I am studying for a master's degree in applied philosophy specializing in Health Care Ethics. My interests in biomedical ethics are varied, including medical research, ethical considerations of artificial intelligence in medicine, and health care equity for marginalized communities. After finishing the Health Care Ethics MA program, I intend to pursue a Ph.D. in philosophy.

Sandra Lerner (she/her)

I hold a Bachelor of Science in Family Studies from the University of Maryland and earned my Master’s degree in Social Work from New York University. I have many years of experience working in the field of social work in different capacities, including as a licensed clinical social worker, supervisor, and in utilization management. I am currently working at U of L as an academic counselor in the University Honors Program. I am pursuing a graduate certificate in Health Care Ethics. My areas of interest include healthcare equity, social determinants of health, health and social justice, and social policy. 

Ben Lyvers (he/him)

I received my BA in Biology from Transylvania University and then received an MD from the University of Louisville. I stayed at UofL to complete a residency in Pediatrics and am now specializing in Pediatric Emergency Medicine. I am currently enrolled in the University of Louisville's three-year Pediatric Emergency Medicine Fellowship at Norton Children's Hospital, that I will be completing alongside the M.A. in Health Care Ethics. I have multiple areas of interest including ethics and disability, and ethics as part of emergency preparedness.  

Victoria Magloire (she/her)

I have a B.S. in Biological Sciences and an M.D. I am a Pediatric Emergency Medicine fellow at Norton Children's Hospital and am currently pursuing an MA in Health Care Ethics. My bioethics interests center around clinical ethics and its intersection with pediatrics. 

Tyler Price (he/him)

I have a BA in Economics from the University of Louisville and am pursuing an MA in Applied Philosophy. I work full-time at the university as an instructor in developmental mathematics. I hope to use my training in philosophy to better serve the diverse student population at the developmental level and to understand how to apply ethical considerations in large-scale bureaucracies, such as those in education and healthcare. 

Caitlin Reichard

I have a BS in biology and a BA in Spanish from Pennsylvania State University. Before starting my MD at University of Louisville (Fall 2022), I am pursuing an MA in Health Care Ethics. My interests in bioethics focus on patient-physician relationship, professional duty, end of life issues, and social justice (LGBTQ+, gender studies, feminist studies). I plan to become a physician, specializing in oncology. I will use my bioethics background to provide culturally competent, patient-centered care. If I pursue a career in academic medicine, I would like to stay active in clinical ethics and/or promote the development of medical school curricula to improve care for marginalized groups. 

Stephanie Schemke (she/her)

I have a BA in Biology from University of Louisville and am pursuing an MA in Health Care Ethics. My current position is with the Human Subject Protection Program as an Institutional Review Board Analyst at the University of Louisville. My bioethics interests include ethics committee work in human clinical research trials and animal research. My career plans are to remain in the institutional compliance field.

Lane (Delaney) Scott (she/her)

I graduated from Randolph College in 2023 with a B.A. in Comparative Philosophy and am currently pursuing an MA in Health Care Ethics. My interests in bioethics are in end-of-life care and Physician-Patient communication. After completing the Health Care Ethics program, I plan to pursue a PhD in Bioethics and eventually a careen in Clinical Ethics.  

Ivory Shelton (she/her)

I am a native of Erwin, TN and a first-generation college student and physician. I attended Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, NC and then stayed on at Wake Forest School of Medicine for my medical degree, graduating in 2020. I completed a pediatric residency at Vanderbilt in Nashville, TN in 2023. I am now a Pediatric Emergency Medicine Fellow with the University of Louisville and Norton Children's Hospital. My academic interests include social-needs targeted interventions in the pediatric ER and patient-centered care for LGBTQIA+ patients. I enjoy attending concerts, exploring Louisville with my fiancé, Joseph, and attending group exercise classes.  

Marissa Smith (she/her)

I am currently a senior undergraduate student pursuing the 5-yeat accelerated BA/MA in Philosophy and Health Care Ethics. I am also pursuing an art history minor. My interests include distributive justice, racial and queer healthcare equity, autonomy, and the intersection of medicine and art therapy.  

Helen TrueNorth

I completed dual degrees, Bachelor of Art and Bachelor of Science in Psychology and Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies at the University of Louisville. I am currently pursuing MA in Health Care Ethics as it speaks to my background working in healthcare and my interest in social work, bioethics, racialized medicine, disability theories, and reproductive justice. I believe it is important to study clinical ethics to be a voice for people of the global majority who have been severely marginalized and ignored within the healthcare system. I plan to obtain a Ph.D. after graduating. 

Alexandria Underwood 

I received a BA in Integrative Studies from Northern Kentucky University with a minor in Healthcare Ethics and two focuses in Sociology and Philosophy. I am pursuing joint MA/MSSW degree in Applied Philosophy/Health Care Ethics and Social Work with specialties in Gerontology and Pediatric Medical Social Work. I advocate for black mothers in maternal care, and am interested in issues of sex & gender, and other countries' health care plans. I want to explore an intersectional approach within healthcare while focusing on trauma informed care as a whole. 

Esper Wadih (he/him) 

I have a BS in biomedical engineering and an MD. I am currently pursuing an MA in Health Care Ethics. I am also currently a practicing pediatric emergency medicine physician. In my future career I plan to use my masters to allow me to sit on healthcare ethics committees and perform ethics consults in the hospital. My specific interests in bioethics revolve around end of life care for children and morality of vaccination mandates.