Director, Center for Ethics and Public Policy (2011 - 2016): From September 2011 to 2016, I was the Director of UMD's Center for Ethics and Public Policy.

* Developed a media presence for the Center. While I was the director, Center events garnered twenty-one televised news appearances, eight newspaper articles, and nine radio interviews.

* Organized many events that produced large crowds (100 or more).

* Featured in an article (January 2013: pp. 8-9) of Duluth-Superior Magazine. The article, "4 under 40" centered upon four individuals (under the age of forty) who are "transforming" Duluth. The portion that centers on me focuses upon my directorship of the Center.

* Participated in a panel at the Eastern APA (2014) for my work constructing the Center.

* Awarded 2016 Chancellor’s Award for Outstanding Public Service (1 of 1, campus-wide).

Videos, some just audio, of Center Events (while I was the director):

Eric Mack

"Self-Love, Social Cooperation, and Justice"

April 9th (2015)

Abstract: This lecture, “Self-Love, Social Cooperation, and Justice,” focuses on really important insights about the relationship among these three elements of human life. This is a tragedy because these insights need to be appreciated if one is to understand how highly diverse individuals and communities can live together in freedom and prosperity. In this lecture, I want to develop the insights that I have in mind by telling a history of ideas story in which three important moral, political, and economic thinkers play a major role. They are: the early 17th century Dutchman, Hugo Grotius (1583-1645) and two 18th century Scottish thinkers, David Hume (1711-1776) and Adam Smith (1723-1790). At the end, I will tip my hat to the 20th century Austrian (and Austrian-refugee) thinker, F.A. Hayek (1899-1992). The closest thing to a villain in my story is the purportedly great liberal thinker, John Stuart Mill (1806-1873).

Erick Mack, Professor at Tulane University and Member of the Murphy Institute of Political Economy – He has written a book on John Locke’s political thought, entitled John Locke. Mack has also edited two works affiliated with 19th century radical libertarian (and anarchist) thought -- Herbert Spencer's The Man vs.The State and Auberon Herbert's The Right and Wrong of Compulsion and Other Essays.

Jason Brennan

"Why Not Capitalism?"

April 30th (2015)

Abstract: Most economists believe capitalism is a compromise with selfish human nature. As Adam Smith put it, "It is not from the benevolence of the butcher, the brewer, or the baker, that we expect our dinner, but from their regard to their own interest." Capitalism works better than socialism, according to this thinking, only because we are not kind and generous enough to make socialism work. If we were saints, we would be socialists. InWhy Not Capitalism?, Jason Brennan attacks this widely held belief, arguing that capitalism would remain the best system even if we were morally perfect. Even in an ideal world, private property and free markets would be the best way to promote mutual cooperation, social justice, harmony, and prosperity. Socialists seek to capture the moral high ground by showing that ideal socialism is morally superior to realistic capitalism. But, Brennan responds, ideal capitalism is superior to ideal socialism, and so capitalism beats socialism at every level.

Jason Brennan, Assistant Professor of Strategy, Economics, Ethics, and Public Policy at Georgetown University -- He teaches courses in ethics, political economy, moral psychology, entrepreneurship, and public policy. He is the author of Why Not Capitalism? (Routledge Press, 2014), Compulsory Voting: For and Against, with Lisa Hill (Cambridge University Press, 2014), Libertarianism: What Everyone Needs to Know (Oxford University Press, 2012), The Ethics of Voting (Princeton University Press, 2011), and, with David Schmidtz, A Brief History of Liberty(Wiley-Blackwell, 2010). He is currently writing Markets without Limits (Routledge, under contract, with Peter Jaworski), and Against Politics (Princeton University Press, under contract).

David Schmidtz

"After Solipsism"

September 10th (2015)

On September 10th, UMD’s Center for Ethics and Public Policy sponsored a public lecture by

Professor David Schmidtz (University of Arizona) where he discussed the best manner by which to help the poor. Moreover, Schmidtz provided a serious critique of Peter Singer’s classic arguments regarding famine relief.

David Schmidtz, Kendrick Professor at the University of Arizona -- He teaches in Philosophy and in Economics and holds a courtesy appointment in the McGuire Center for Entrepreneurship at Eller College of Management. He is editor of Social Philosophy & Policy and is the Freedom Center's founding director. He is the author of Person, Polis, Planet(Oxford University Press, 2008), The Elements of Justice (Cambridge University Press, 2006), A Brief History of Liberty, with Jason Brennan (Wiley-Blackwell, 2010), Social Welfare & Individual Responsibility, with Robert Goodin (Cambridge University Press, 1998), Rational Choice and Moral Agency (Princeton University Press, 1996) and The Limits of Government: An Essay on the Public Goods Argument (Westview, 1991)

Some of Schmidtz’s (40+) articles have appeared in Ethics, Journal of Philosophy, Philosophical Review, Social Philosophy and Policy, Nous, Journal of Applied Philosophy, Canadian Journal of Philosophy, Erkenntnis and Public Choice.

Cathy Wurzer (MPR) and Ev Emerson (Bruce Kramer’s spouse)

"Living while Dying"

October 23rd (2015)

Cathy Wurzer is one of Minnesota’s most recognizable broadcast journalists with a career that spans both commercial and public radio and TV. Since 2011 Bruce Kramer has been talking with Cathy Wurzer about his transformative journey with ALS on Minnesota Public Radio’s flagship news program, “Morning Edition.” Cathy is a multiple Emmy Award winning journalist who is also the co-host of the longest running public affairs television show of its kind in the country: "Almanac" on Twin Cities Public Television. Prior, she was an anchor and reporter at the CBS station in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area; WCCO-TV and was also an announcer on WCCO Radio. She is a documentary filmmaker and author of an award winning book about the sites and secrets along U.S Highway 61.

This event was cosponsored with Advance Care Planning - Northeast MN.

Becky Pettit, Professor of Sociology at the University of Texas-Austin

"Invisible Men: Mass Incarceration and the Myth of Black Progress"

November 4th (2015)

Abstract: For African American men without a high school diploma, being in prison or jail is more common than being employed—a sobering reality that calls into question post-Civil Rights era social gains. It is more common for black men to go to prison or jail for at least a year than to finish college or serve in the military. Incarceration is also deeply concentrated among those with low levels of education. Between one quarter and one third of black men can expect to spend at least a year in prison or jail and upwards of 60% of black men who’ve dropped out of high school spend at least a year behind bars. Point-in-time estimates show that more than 1 in 3 young black men who’ve dropped out of high scho

ol are currently incarcerated and young black men without a high school diploma are more likely to be incarcerated in prison or jail than they are to be employed. Invisible Men provides an eye-opening examination of how mass incarceration has concealed decades of racial inequality.

Becky Pettit is Professor of Sociology at the University of Texas-Austin. She is a sociologist, trained in demographic methods, with interests in social inequality broadly defined. She is the author of two books and numerous articles which have appeared in the American Sociological Review, the American Journal of Sociology, Demography, Social Problems, Social Forces and other journals. Her newest book, Invisible Men: Mass Incarceration and the Myth of Black Progress (Russell Sage Foundation 2012) investigates how decades of growth in America's prisons and jails obscures basic accounts of racial inequality. Her previous book, co-authored with Jennifer Hook of the University of Southern California, Gendered Tradeoffs: Family, Social Policy, and Economic Inequality in Twenty-One Countries (Russell Sage Foundation 2009) was selected as a Noteworthy Book in Industrial Relations and Labor Economics in 2010.

Pettit has been the recipient of many honors and awards. Her paper “Black-White Wage Inequality, Employment Rates, and Incarceration” (with Bruce Western of Harvard University) received the James Short paper award from the American Sociological Association Crime, Law, and Deviance Section. Another paper “Mass Imprisonment and the Life Course: Race and Class Inequality in U.S. Incarceration” (with Western) received Honorable Mention from the American Sociological Association Sociology of Law Section Article Prize Committee. A related paper (also with Hook) was a finalist for the 2006 Rosabeth Moss Kanter Award for Excellence in Work-Family Research.

Peter David, Commission Biologist for the Great Lakes Indian Fish & Wildlife Commission (GLIFWC)

"Respecting the Ricing Moon – A biologist’s thoughts on preserving the Ojibwe’s relationship with Manoomin"

January 20th (2016)

Abstract: The Ojibwe’s long and complex connectivity to manoomin (wild rice) is currently being tested by an array of biological, political and economic threats. Preserving this unique relationship for future generations may hinge on our desire and commitment to preserve the abundance of manoomin on the regional landscape today. This lecture will provide an introduction on the Ojibwe’s historic and contemporary relationship with wild rice, review some of the threats and challenges facing contemporary wild rice stewardship, and look at some of the past restoration successes which can inform our way forward.

Peter David is a wildlife biologist with GLIFWC. Originally from Green Bay, Wisconsin, he received BS and Master Degrees in Wildlife Ecology from UW-Madison before heading north to work for GLIFWC, which was only in its third year of existence at the time. There his education in manoomin (wild rice) really began, spurred in large part by the tribal elders and ricers who shared their traditional ecological knowledge regarding this cultural and ecological treasure. More than 25 years later his relationship with manoomin continues to expand, as a harvester, self- finisher, researcher, manager and steward of wild rice.

This Center event was cosponsored with UMD’s department of American Indian Studies (AIS)

This lecture was funded in part by the Global Awareness Fund and the Anishinabe Fund of the Duluth Superior Area Community Foundation

Ashley Nellis, Senior Research Analyst, The Sentencing Project

"Life Sentences in America: A Key Feature of Mass Incarceration"

February 15th (2016)

Abstract: The United States leads the world in incarceration; our prison population has

increased by 500% over the last 40 years, standing at over 2 million people in prisons and jails today. This did not happen overnight. Our current state of mass incarceration is the end product of a series of poorly designed policies that were believed to reduce crime and allay concerns about public safety. Some of these policies are responsible for the quadrupling of life sentences since 1984. Today, one in 9 people in prison is serving a life sentence. This presentation will discuss the policies and practices that have created the current prison system and explore some of the steps that will be necessary to see significant reform.

Dr. Ashley Nellis has an academic and professional background in analyzing criminal justice policies and practice, and has extensive experience in analyzing disparities among youth of color in the juvenile justice system. She leads The Sentencing Project's research and legislative activities in juvenile justice reform and serves on several youth-serving coalitions and working groups in the Washington, D.C. area. She regularly delivers testimony, writes articles and reports, and conducts research. Nellis is the author of A Return to Justice: Rethinking our Approach to Juveniles in the System, which chronicles America’s historical treatment of youth in the justice system and discusses the work that remains in order to reorient the juvenile justice practices toward the original vision. She is actively engaged in federal and state efforts to eliminate life without parole sentences for juveniles and to reconsider lengthy sentences for all prisoners. She received her Ph.D. in Justice, Law and Society from American University’s School of Public Affairs.

Steven Raphael is Professor of Public Policy at UC Berkeley.

"Prison and Crime Control: evidence of diminishing returns to scale"

March 1st (2016)

Steven Raphael is Professor of Public Policy at UC Berkeley. His research focuses on the economics of low-wage labor markets, housing, and the economics of crime and corrections. His most recent research focuses on the social consequences of the large increases in U.S. incarceration rates. Raphael also works on immigration policy, research questions pertaining to various aspects of racial inequality, the economics of labor unions, social insurance policies, homelessness, and low-income housing. Raphael is the author (with Michael Stoll) of Why Are so Many Americans in Prison?(published by the Russell Sage Foundation Press) and The New Scarlet Letter? Negotiating the U.S. Labor Market with a Criminal Record (published by the W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research). He is also editor in chief of Industrial Relations and a research fellow at the University of Michigan National Poverty Center, the University of Chicago Crime Lab, IZA, Bonn Germany, and the Public Policy Institute of California. Raphael holds a Ph.D. in economics from UC Berkeley.

Dick Carpenter (Institute for Justice)

"Cops, Inc.: How Civil Asset Forfeiture Threatens Property Rights by Encouraging Policing for Profit"

March 30th (2016)

Abstract: One of the most significant threats to property rights today is civil asset forfeiture. Civil forfeiture allows, if not encourages, law enforcement to seize and permanently keep property without charging or convicting anyone of a crime. Since the 1980s, law enforcement agencies at all levels have forfeited billions of dollars with little to no oversight by the public or even elected officials. Drawing on more than a decade of research and litigation experience, this lecture will define and describe how civil forfeiture works, the extent of forfeiture activity, and how forfeiture laws can be reformed. Dr. Dick Carpenter serves as a director of strategic research for the Institute for Justice. He works with IJ staff and attorneys to define, implement and manage social science research related to the Institute’s mission. As an experienced researcher, Carpenter has presented and published on a variety of topics ranging from educational policy to the dynamics of presidential elections. His work has appeared in academic journals, such as Economic Development Quarterly, Economic Affairs,The Forum, Fordham Urban Law Journal, International Journal of Ethics, Education and Urban Society, Urban Studies, Regulation and Governance, and magazines, such as Regulation, Phi Delta Kappan and the American School Board Journal. Moreover, the results of his research have been quoted in newspapers such as the New York Times, Washington Post, and the Wall Street Journal. His research for IJ has resulted in reports such as Disclosure costs: Unintended consequences of campaign finance reform, License to Work, Private choice in public programs: How private institutions secure social services for Georgians, Designing cartels: How industry insiders cut out competition and Victimizing the Vulnerable: The Demographics of Eminent Domain Abuse.

Jeffrey Smith (The New School)

"The Roots of Urban Rage: From Ferguson to Mass Incarceration"

April 15th (2016)

Jeff Smith is Assistant Professor of Politics and Advocacy at Milano. Jeff, who has also taught at Washington University and Dartmouth College, teaches and researches political campaigns, urban political economy, policy advocacy, and the legislative process. Jeff served in the Missouri Senate from 2006-2009, representing St. Louis City, where he co-founded a group of charter schools called the Confluence Academies. He has written two books as well an an e-book: Trading Places, his Ph.D. thesis on U.S. partisan realignment from 1975-2004, Mr. Smith Goes to Prison (St. Martin's, 2015), a narrative nonfiction account of his time in prison, and Ferguson in Black and White, an historical analysis of the roots of Ferguson, Missouri's unrest. His original research and book reviews have been published in various political science journals, including Political Research Quarterly, Political Science Quarterly, and The Forum.

Jeff frequently appears on MSNBC and has been profiled by NPR’s This American Life, Harper’s, The New Republic, and other periodicals. He addresses audiences of public officials on ethics in politics, and his TED talk on prison entrepreneurship has been viewed over a million times. His op-eds have been published by The New York Times, The New Republic, CNN.com, The Atlantic, Inc., National Journal, Salon,Politico Magazine, New York Magazine, Buzzfeed, and the Chicago Tribune. The film Can Mr. Smith Get to Washington Anymore?, which was short-listed for an Academy Award, chronicled his youth-powered grass-roots congressional campaign. He currently serves on the national advisory boards of the Prison Entrepreneurship Program and American Prison Data Systems.

Duane Cady (Hamline University)

"Moral Injury"

April 22nd (2016)

On April 22nd 2016., UMD’s Center for Ethics and Public Policy sponsored a public lecture by Dr. Duane Cady (Hamline University) on how we injure ourselves morally by acting violently. Duane L. Cady has been teaching at Hamline for forty years and has been recognized for his teaching with the Grimes Award at Hamline (1999) and was United Methodist Foundation Educator of the Year (2005). He is author of From Warism to Pacifism: A Moral Continuum (1989; 2nd ed. 2010), Moral Vision: How Everyday Life Shapes Ethical Thinking (2005), co-author of Humanitarian Intervention: Just War vs. Pacifism (1996), and co-editor of three anthologies. He has published more than fifty articles in professional journals on the history of philosophy, ethics, and nonviolence. Cady was a Visiting Scholar at Westminster College, Oxford, England (1988), Visiting Professor at Trier University, Germany (2004), and served six years on the National Council of the Fellowship of Reconciliation (FOR). He was President of both the Minnesota Philosophical Society (1981) and Concerned Philosophers for Peace (1991). Professor Cady was honored to give the Hanna Lectures in Philosophy on "Pluralism and Moral Progress" in 2012.

Matt Zwolinski

"Exploitation, Neglect, and the Psychology of Moral Judgment: Why you’re probably worse than a price gouger, and why you probably don’t believe it."

April 1st (2015)

Abstract: Most of us think that sweatshops and price gougers are morally bad. We think

sweatshops are bad because they exploit workers who often have few other options for escaping poverty. And price gougers exploit victims of natural disaster - taking unfair advantage of their vulnerability in order to line their own profits. We like to think we’re better than that. But the fact is that sweatshops and price gougers often do more good for people in desperate situations than we do. So should we really feel so confident about our moral superiority? Or are we just fooling ourselves?

Matt Zwolinski, Associate Professor at the University of San Diego – He is the co-director of USD's Institute for Law and Philosophy, and the founder of (and frequent contributor to) the Bleeding Heart Libertarians blog. His books include Arguing About Political Philosophy (Routledge 2014) and A Brief History of Libertarianism, with John Tomasi (under contract with Princeton University Press)

Roderick Long, Professor of Philosophy, Auburn University

"How (and Why) to Be a Free-Market Radical Leftist."

February 27th (2015)

Roderick T. Long, Professor at Auburn University – President of the Molinari Institute and Molinari Society; a Senior Fellow of the Center for a Stateless Society; a Senior Scholar of the Ludwig von Mises Institute; editor of The Industrial Radical and Molinari Review; co-editor of the Journal of Ayn Rand Studies and Anarchism/Minarchism: Is a Government Part of a Free Country?; co-founder of the Alliance of the Libertarian Left; author of Reason and Value: Aristotle versus Rand (2000) and Wittgenstein, Austrian Economics, and the Logic of Action (forthcoming from Routledge); a member of the boards of the Free Nation Foundation and the Libertarian Nation Foundation, and of the advisory boards of the the Center for the Study of Innovative Freedom and the Institute for Objectivist Studies; past member of the board of the Foundation for a Democratic Society; past editor of the Journal of Libertarian Studies and Formulations; and past president of the Alabama Philosophical Society. Long received his philosophical training at Harvard (A.B. 1985) and Cornell (Ph.D. 1992) and has taught at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and the University of Michigan.

Loren Lomasky, Cory Professor of Political Philosophy, Policy and Law, University of Virginia

"Milking the Young"

March 27th (2015)

Abstract: Philosophers are much concerned with issues of injustice. Vast literatures address wrongful incursions committed along lines of race, gender, sexual preference, religion and, of course, economic class. Comparatively little attention has been paid to impositions across generational lines, and where such unfairness has been invoked the story is often gotten backwards (“ageism”). This paper argues that during the preceding half century increased burdens have been placed on young cohorts for the direct benefit of the old, that almost every major social policy in recent years has further disadvantaged the young, and that this is not only an American problem but one that pervades the developed world. These injustices can be understood as failures of reciprocity, non-imposition, and democratic accountability. Unlike other perceived injustices, this one shows itself uniquely resistant to redress through liberal democratic means. It concludes by arguing that this immunity to melioration is not accidental but rather that the root cause of milking the young is contemporary liberal democracy itself.

Loren Lomasky, Cory Professor of Political Philosophy, Policy and Law, and Director of the Political Philosophy, Policy and Law Program at the University of Virginia -- Professor Lomasky is best known for his work in moral and political philosophy. His book Persons, Rights, and the Moral Community (Oxford University Press, 1987) established his reputation as a leading advocate of a rights-based approach to moral and social issues. He co-authored with G. Brennan (Cambridge University Press, 1993) and co-edited with G. Brennan Politics and Process: New Essays in Democratic Theory (Cambridge University Press, 1989). Lomasky has been the recipient of many awards including the 1991 Matchette Prize for his book Persons, Rights, and the Moral Community.

Rev. Nancy E. Maeker, Executive Director (retired), A Minnesota Without Poverty

"A Minnesota Without Poverty: Working Toward Enough for All"

November 6th (2014)

Rev. Nancy E. Maeker -- Executive Director (retired) at A Minnesota Without Poverty (AMWP), a statewide movement to end poverty in Minnesota by 2020. Her work with AMWP focuses on convening and leading a collaborative process to implement the recommendations of the Legislative Commission to End Poverty in Minnesota, and to build the public and political will to end poverty. Previously she served as Dean of Students at Luther Seminary (1991-2000), Pastor for Community Ministries at Central Lutheran Church, Minneapolis (2000-2002), and Bishop’s Associate in the Saint Paul Area Synod-ELCA (2002-2008). She has degrees from Texas Lutheran University (BA), Wartburg Seminary (MDiv), University of Texas at Austin (MMus), and Luther Seminary (DMin). She is the co-author of Ending Poverty: A 20/20 Vision (2006).

Jeremy Youde, Associate Professor of Political Science

"Spacesuits, Secret Serums, and Panic: What the Ebola Outbreak Tells Us about Global Health Governance"

October 2nd (2014)

Abstract: “More people have contracted Ebola during the current West African outbreak than in all known previous outbreaks. With its seemingly unprecedented spread and effects, what are the larger lessons we can draw from the Ebola outbreak? In this talk, I want to focus on three topics in particular. First, what role can and should quarantine and isolation play in addressing infectious disease outbreaks? Second, what are the ethical issues around pharmaceutical access and the use of untested medical treatments, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa? Third, what does the outbreak tell us about the international community's ability to respond to disease outbreaks around the world?”

Jeremy Youde joined UMD in 2008 after teaching in California and Iowa. He received his Ph.D. in political science from the University of Iowa in 2005. He teaches courses in comparative politics and international relations, and his research focuses on global health politics and African politics.

Liz Kuoppala, Executive Director, Minnesota Coalition for the Homeless

"Homelessness in Minnesota"

December 4th (2014)

Liz has been at the Minnesota Coalition for the Homeless in various capacities since 2001. Before joining MCH, Liz did brief stints as a locomotive engineer in the mines and as a staffer in Senator Paul Wellstone’s D.C. office. She is the 2008 recipient of the League of Minnesota Cities’ Women in City Government Outstanding Leadership Award for her work in leadership development while serving as an Eveleth City Councilor (2007-2010), the 2009 recipient of the Ann Bancroft Dream Maker Award for Leadership and Achievement for her work in recruiting and training rural women to run for elected office, the 2011 recipient of the Simpson Housing Services Champion Award for her advocacy work. Liz holds a certificate in Sociology from Reisjarven Opisto in Finland, a B.S. in Chemistry from St. Cloud State University and a Masters in Advocacy and Political Leadership from the University of Minnesota-Duluth.

"Minnesota Compassionate Care Act of 2015 (SF 1880): Should Minnesota Embrace a Right to Die"

Panel Discussion

The Panel:

1. Senator Chris Eaton (Senate Majority Whip, author of the Minnesota Compassionate Care Act [SF 1880]) Senator Eaton is a registered nurse and a member of the Minnesota Nurses Association. She was Director of Health Services at Mental Health Resources from 2009 to 2012, and previously worked as a nurse at Ramsey County Mental Health Initiative from 1998 to 2008, and as a nurse and human services tech at Anoka Metro Regional Treatment Center from 1991 to 1998.

2. Kirk Allison (Program Director of the Program in Human Rights and Medicine -- University of Minnesota) Allison’s publications center on discussions of science and ideology, interdisciplinarity, and the concept of human dignity in relation to disability. His writing in these fields began with his Ph.D dissertation research at the Deutches Literaturarchiv in Marbach, Germany, in which he investigated the social location of physician-poet Gottfried Benn’s (1886-1956) medical specialties in relation to his literature and ethical relations to the Hippocratic ethical tradition; the confluence of eugenics, aesthetics, and politics. His interest with and involvement in the intersection between human rights and healthcare continued to deepen over the years, and in 2003 he served as a consultant for the Human Rights Library study guide “The Right to Means for Adequate Health.” In subsequent years collaborative projects have included investigations of the uninsured, and in 2004 produced a policy recommendation review for the Minneapolis Department of Health & Family Support and the Hennepin County Human Services & Public Health Department. A tireless and dedicated champion of human rights both at home and abroad, Professor Allison has also presented testimony to state legislative committees on topics such as “Genomics, Ethics and the Public Representation of Science” and “Stem Cell Research Policy: Is Ethics or Science Primary?” His recent research includes analysis of physician attitudes toward health care financing systems; studies of health care outcomes by institutional profile as well as epilepsy-related health disparities in the American Indian community; analysis of the relationship between human rights and health including with regard to disabilities; investigation of human rights and organ harvesting/procurement in China.

3. Jonathan R. Sande, MD (Ethics Program Director -- St. Mary's Medical Center) Dr. Sande is a graduate of St. Olaf College, and attended Mayo Medical School in Rochester, MN. He completed his residency in Internal Medicine and fellowship in Hematology and Oncology at the Mayo College of Medicine, and is board certified in Internal Medicine, Hematology, and Oncology. A former fellow in the Pew Program in Medicine, Arts, and the Social Sciences at the University of Chicago, he is currently a doctoral candidate in ethics at the University of Chicago Divinity School, a consultant in Hematology/Oncology at Essentia Health East, Director of the St. Mary's Medical Center Ethics Program, and Director of Essentia Health East Advance Care Planning.

4. David Mayo (Professor Emeritus – University of Minnesota, Duluth) Dr. Mayo, board member of the Death with Dignity National Center, was Professor of Philosophy and Faculty Associate of the Center for Bioethics at the University of Minnesota, Duluth. He also served on the Board of Directors of the American Association of Suicidology and of the Hemlock Sociey, co-authored Suicide: The Philosophical Issues. He received his undergraduate degree in philosophy from Reed College, and his PhD in philosophy from the University of Pittsburgh. He began teaching at the University of Minnesota in 1966 and became interested in bioethics in 1974, when he participated in a six week summer seminar in bioethics sponsored by the Council for Philosophical Studies. In 1985 he was a Visiting Exxon Fellow in Clinical Medical Ethics at the Center for Medical Ethics and Health Policy at the Baylor College of Medicine in Houston. During leaves from his position at the University of Minnesota, Duluth, Professor Mayo has taught at Macalester College in St. Paul, and at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, and held Visiting Scholar appointments at both Macalester College and the School of Nursing at Case Western Reserve University. Mayo is widely published on the subjects of death and dying, Privacy, and AIDS.

Economic Inequality Panel

Panel Discussion

Panelists include:

1. Joshua Preiss, Associate Professor and Director of the Philosophy, Politics, & Economics (PPE) Program at Minnesota State University, Mankato – His current research is in moral and political philosophy and the philosophy of economics, in particular, theories of equality, justice and personal responsibility, ethics and economics, freedom (including normative conceptions of free exchange), institutional approaches to diversity, and the philosophy of race, class, and gender. Preiss has presented at such institutions as the University of Chicago, Oxford University, the University of Minnesota, Roskilde University (Denmark), the University of Edinburgh, the University of Lisbon, Queens University Belfast, Utrecht University (Netherlands), Jesuit University in Krakow (Poland), Fatih University (Turkey), and the Winter Institute for Economics and Public Affairs. His work has appeared in such journals as Public Affairs Quarterly, Ethics, Business Ethics Quarterly, Social Theory and Practice, Res Publica, the European Journal of Philosophy, and the Critical Review of International Social and Political Philosophy.

2. Steven Horwitz, Charles A. Dana Professor of Economics at St. Lawrence University. An Affiliated Senior Scholar at the Mercatus Center in Arlington, VA and a Senior Fellow of the Fraser Institute in Vancouver, BC. -- He is the author of two books, Microfoundations and Macroeconomics: An Austrian Perspective (Routledge, 2000) and Monetary Evolution, Free Banking, and Economic Order (Westview, 1992), and he has written extensively on Austrian economics, Hayekian political economy, monetary theory and history, and macroeconomics. In addition to several dozen articles in numerous professional journals, he has also done nationally recognized public policy work on the role of the private sector during Hurricane Katrina. The author of numerous op-eds, Horwitz is also a frequent guest on TV and radio programs, and has a series of popular YouTube videos for the Learn Liberty series from the Institute for Humane Studies. He also blogs at “Coordination Problem” and “Bleeding Heart Libertarians.” He was awarded the Hayek Prize in 2010 by the Fund for the Study of Spontaneous Order for his work on the economics of the family among other contributions. A member of the Mont Pelerin Society, Horwitz has spoken to professional, student, policymaker, and general audiences throughout North America, as well as in Europe, Asia, and South America. His current research is on the economics and social theory of the family, and he has a forthcoming book on the Hayek, the family, and classical liberalism, due out from Palgrave-Macmillan in 2015.

3. Nikolai G. Wenzel, Wallace and Marion Reemelin Chair in Free-Market Economics at Hillsdale College – Dr. Wenzel is a former Foreign Service Officer with the US State Department; he worked at the US Embassy in Mexico City, where he was vice consul and special assistant to the US ambassador. He later worked for various Washington, DC-area think tanks, including the Atlas Economic Research Foundation, the Mercatus Center, and the Institute for Humane Studies, while completing his doctoral coursework, and a dissertation on Argentina's failed constitution and economy. Since 2007, he has been teaching economics at Hillsdale College. Dr. Wenzel's research focuses on constitutional political economy and the institutions that promote human liberty and flourishing, with an emphasis on the role of ideology and culture, the history of ideas, and the work of Austrian economist F.A. Hayek. His work has been published in a dozen journals, including the Review of Austrian Economics, the Journal of Private Enterprise, and the Oxford Handbook of the Sociology of Religion. Dr. Wenzel is a member of the Mont Pelerin Society, sits on the Executive Committee of the Association of Private Enterprise Education, and teaches for the Institute for Humane Studies and the Foundation for Economic Education.

4. Robert H. Frank, Henrietta Johnson Louis Professor of Management and Professor of Economics at Cornell's Johnson Graduate School of Management and the co-director of the Paduano Seminar in business ethics at NYU’s Stern School of Business -- His “Economic View” column appears monthly in The New York Times. He is a Distinguished Senior Fellow at Demos. He received his B.S. in mathematics from Georgia Tech, then taught math and science for two years as a Peace Corps Volunteer in rural Nepal. He holds an M.A. in statistics and a Ph.D. in economics, both from the University of California at Berkeley. His papers have appeared in the American Economic Review, Econometrica, Journal of Political Economy, and other leading professional journals. His books, which include Choosing the Right Pond, Passions Within Reason, Microeconomics and Behavior, Principles of Economics (with Ben Bernanke), Luxury Fever, What Price the Moral High Ground?, Falling Behind, The Economic Naturalist, The Darwin Economy, and Success and Luck, have been translated into 22 languages. The Winner-Take-All Society, co-authored with Philip Cook, received a Critic's Choice Award, was named a Notable Book of the Year by The New York Times, and was included in Business Week's list of the ten best books of 1995. He is a co-recipient of the 2004 Leontief Prize for Advancing the Frontiers of Economic Thought. He was awarded the Johnson School’s Stephen Russell Distinguished teaching award in 2004, 2010, and 2012, and its Apple Distinguished Teaching Award in 2005.

Winona LaDuke

Abstract: The ethics of public policy in the l900s were at an all-time low. During this time, Native lands were taken for wildlife refuges by the state, and environmental protection was bowed to corporate interests. In this millennium, ethics must prevail in public policy. This should obtain via the rights of nature, the rights of peoples, and/or the protection of the civil rights of American citizens against excessive force. LaDuke will discuss broad environmental ethics and today's challenges of major oil pipelines and mining expansion.

Winona LaDuke is an Anishinaabekwe (Ojibwe) enrolled member of the Mississippi Band Anishinaabeg who lives and works on the White Earth Reservations. She is also the Executive Director of Honor the Earth, where she works on a national level to advocate, raise public support, and create funding for frontline native environmental groups. In 1994, Winona was nominated by Time magazine as one of America's fifty most promising leaders under forty years of age. She has been awarded the Thomas Merton Award in 1996, the BIHA Community Service Award in 1997, the Ann Bancroft Award for Women's Leadership Fellowship, and the Reebok Human Rights Award, with which she began the WELRP. She is a former board member of Greenpeace USA and serves, as co-chair of the Indigenous Women's Network, a North American and Pacific indigenous women's organization. In 1998, Ms. Magazine named her Woman of the Year for her work with Honor the Earth. She has written extensively on Native American and environmental issues. Her books include: The Militarization of Indian Country (2011), Recovering the Sacred: the Power of Naming and Claiming (2005), the non-fiction book All our Relations: Native Struggles for Land and Life (1999, South End Press), and a novel - Last Standing Woman(1997, Voyager Press).

This Center event was co-sponsored with UMD’s -- American Indian Studies (AIS), Geography, Urban, Environment and Sustainability Studies (GUESS), and Women, Gender and Sexuality Studies (WGSS)

This lecture was funded in part by the Global Awareness Fund and the Anishinabe Fund of the Duluth Superior Area Community Foundation. Moreover, additional funding was provided by the UMD Commission for Women.

Dr. Vandana Shiva - "Making Peace with the Earth"

In her lecture, "Making Peace with the Earth," Dr. Shiva makes the argument that wars against the earth become wars against people, and that sustainable use of resources is the way toward peace and justice.

She is the recipient of the Alternative Nobel Peace Prize (the Right Livelihood Award), the United Nations Environmental Program (UNEP) Global 500 Award, the John Lennon Yoko Ono Grant For Peace, and the Sydney Peace Prize for her commitment to social justice.

Forbes magazine has called Dr. Vandana Shiva one of the top seven most powerful women on the planet. Time magazine identified Vandana Shiva as an environmental "hero" and Asia Week called her one of the five most powerful communicators in Asia.

Women's History Month Sponsors include: Alta Oben; The Asian Pacific American Student Association; The Asian/Pacific American Student Program; The Center for Ethics and Public Policy; The College of Liberal Arts; The Commission on Women; The Duluth YWCA; The Geography, Urban, Environmental & Sustainability Department; The Minnesota Public Interest Research Group; The Political Science Department; The Royal D. Alworth, Jr Institute for International Studies; The Swenson College of Science & Engineering; The University of Minnesota Medical School, Duluth; the Women, Gender, & Sexuality Studies Department; and the Women's Resource and Action Center.

"Minnesota, Alcohol & Blue Laws"

Panel Discussion

The panel:

1. Representative Joe Atkins: (DFL) District 52B -- He previously served as the mayor of Inver Grove Heights from 1992–2002. In his first term in the House, Atkins was selected by the bipartisan editors of Politics in Minnesota magazine as their First-Term Legislator of the Year. Since that time, Atkins has garnered a dozen similar honors from a wide variety of professional, business and labor organizations.

2. Andrew Schmitt: Executive Director, Minnesota Beer Activists (MBA) – MBA’s mission is to represent consumer interests through active engagement in education, legislation, and community participation regarding beer, wine, and spirits in Minnesota. MBA supports any alcohol related issue deemed beneficial to consumers. This may include issues related to: home brewing, on-sale and off-sale, distilling, and wine.

3. Senator Roger J. Reinert: (DFL) District 07 -- Reinert began his political career when he was appointed to the Duluth City Council on January 12, 2004, filling the seat vacated by Herb Bergson, who had been elected mayor. He served as council president in 2006 and 2008. Reinert previously served as a member of the Minnesota House of Representatives representing District 7B. He was a member of the House Taxes Committee, and also served on the Finance subcommittees for the Higher Education and Workforce Development Finance and Policy Division, the Public Safety Finance Division, and the Transportation Finance and Policy Division.

4. Scott Neal: Edina City Manager -- Neal began work as Edina City Manager in 2010. Prior to joining the City staff, he served as City Manager of Eden Prairie since 2002. He has also held the positions of City Administrator for the communities of Northfield, Minn.; Mt. Pleasant, Iowa; and Norris, Tenn.

"The Right Ways to Hunt"

Panel Discussion

The panel:

1. Sam Cook: has been a writer/columnist with the Duluth News Tribune for 32 years. He writes the column -- "Outdoors with Sam Cook." His books include: (1) Moving Waters: Adventures on Northern Rivers; (2) Up North; (3) Friendship Fires; (4) Quiet Magic (Outdoor Essays & Reflections)

2. Michael Furtman: is a Duluth outdoors writer and wildlife photographer who has written for Ducks

Unlimited and contributed stories for many magazines, including the DNR's Conservation Volunteer magazine.

3. Becca Kent: is the Chapter Coordinator of the Minnesota Deer Hunters Association. Over the last 30 years MDHA has improved upon and developed its mission of “working for tomorrow’s wildlife and hunters today.” With 62 chapters and over 15,000 members throughout the state, MDHA works in Minnesota for Minnesota through four main tenets which include hunting, habitat, education and legislation.

4. Rich Staffon: is a retired DNR area wildlife manager from Cloquet and the president of the Izaak Walton League in Duluth.

5. James E. Zorn: is the Executive Administrator of the Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife Commission (GLIFWC), an agency of eleven Ojibwe tribes located in Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan. Formed in 1984, GLIFWC exercises delegated authority to assist its member Tribes in the implementation and protection of hunting, fishing, and gathering rights reserved in various land cession treaties with the United States. Prior to assuming his leadership role as Executive Administrator, Zorn served as the agency’s lead attorney/policy analyst from 1987 to 2006. Before joining GLIFWC’s staff, he served as tribal attorney for the Lac Courte Oreilles Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians.

Debate for Minnesota 7A

~Candidates ~

Jennifer Schultz

DFL Candidate

Kristine Osbakken

Green Party Candidate

Becky Hall

Republican Candidate

"Medical Marijuana in Minnesota"

Panel Discussion

The panel:

1. Rep. Carly Melin is a member of the Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party (DFL), she represents District 6A, which includes portions of the Iron Range in Itasca and St. Louis counties in the northeastern part of the state. Melin received a B.S. in political science from Bemidji State University and a J.D. from Hamline University School of Law. After graduating, she returned to the Iron Range to practice law, accepting a position with the Minnesota State Judiciary. Melin introduced HF 1818, a bill that would allow people with serious illnesses to access and use medical marijuana if their doctors recommend it.

2. Heather Azzi is the political director for Minnesotans for Compassionate Care. MCC is a group of organizations, medical professionals, patients and concerned citizens working to protect people with cancer, multiple sclerosis, HIV/AIDS and other serious illnesses from arrest and imprisonment for using medical marijuana with their physicians' advice.

3. Rep. Bob Barrett is a member of the Republican Party of Minnesota; he represents District 32B, which includes portions of Chisago County just north of the Twin Cities metropolitan area. Barrett graduated from Mankato State University in Mankato, receiving his B.A. in accounting in 1989. Active in his community, he served on the Chisago Lakes School District Finance Team, and was also a school district mentor.

4. Cody Wiberg, Pharm.D., M.S., R.Ph. is the executive director of the Minnesota Board of Pharmacy. The Minnesota Board of Pharmacy exists to protect the public from adulterated, misbranded, and illicit drugs, and from unethical or unprofessional conduct on the part of pharmacists or other licensees, and to provide a reasonable assurance of professional competency in the practice of pharmacy by enforcing the Pharmacy Practice Act M.S. 151, State Controlled Substances Act M.S. 152 and various other statutes. The Board regulates pharmacists, pharmacies, pharmacy technicians, controlled substance researchers, drug wholesalers and drug manufactures. The Board approves licenses or registrations for these individuals or businesses, and also decides when to impose disciplinary action.

"Voter ID, How Does it Impact Your Voice?"

Panel Discussion

The panel:

1. Ian Zuckerman (UMD Political Science) received his Ph.D. from Columbia University in 2012. His areas of specialization are early modern political thought and constitutional theory. He is also interested in democratic theory, and inequality. Dr. Zuckerman’s research has appeared in the journal Constellations, among other venues.

2. Jeremy Schroeder is the executive director of Common Cause Minnesota -- Common Cause is a nonpartisan, nonprofit advocacy organization founded in 1970 as a vehicle for citizens to make their voices heard in the political process and to hold their elected leaders accountable to the public.

3. Laura Fredrick Wang was the Executive Director of League of Women Voters, Minnesota (Jan. 2011-June 2013). Prior to becoming the Executive Director, Wang served as the Public Policy Coordinator. She was the LWV Minnesota representative to the coalition that advanced the state-wide campaign against the Voter ID amendment and served on the campaign’s executive committee. Wang is a graduate of Metropolitan State University and is currently a Masters in Public Affairs candidate at the University of Minnesota’s Humphrey Institute. She has worked previously in public policy and community organizing in the non-profit sector, for federal, state, and city government, as well as managing political campaigns.

4. Dan McGrath is the president of Minnesota Majority, a conservative advocacy group which lobbied in favor of a bill to put a proposed constitutional amendment requiring voters to show photo ID.

"Copper & Nickel Mining in Minnesota"

Panel Discussion

The panel:

(1) Don Fosnacht – NRRI, Director of CARTD:

Fosnacht is the director of the Center for Applied Research and Technology Development. He is a metallurgical engineer with a broad background that includes minerals extraction and minerals processing, extractive and physical metallurgy and analytical chemistry. He is also a seasoned technical manager with 20+ years experience in managing and directing research programs and technology development. He has been trained in project management, total quality management, continuous improvement processes along with various statistical tools and methodologies. He consults with various clients on business improvement specializing in yield and profitability enhancement and cost reduction. He is a partner in Steel Profitability Consulting, Inc. (a firm that serves the metals industry in business enhancement).

(2) Betsy Daub – Friends of BWCA, Policy Director:

Daub has extensive experience in conservation policy,including six years at Audubon Minnesota, where she served as Forest Program Director, Acting State Director, and Senior Director for Conservation Programs. Her work at Audubon included substantial efforts regarding management of the Superior National Forest and the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. Most recently, Daub taught science in St. Paul schools.

(3) Nancy Schuldt -- Water Projects Coordinator, Fond du Lac:

Schuldt serves as the Fond du Lac Water Projects Coordinator. Her water quality monitoring and quality assurance plans were critical to the finalization of Tribal water quality standards, and provided a model for other EPA Region 5 Tribes entering similar phases of their own water projects. She directed research into fish contaminants and sediment chemistry to characterize mercury impacts to Fond du Lac Band members, participates in numerous local and regional working groups to ensure the tribal perspective is represented, and initiated a cooperative wastewater management project with the non-tribal community to protect Big Lake, a heavily developed lake on the Reservation. She is also responsible for the tribe’s nonpoint source management program, and environmental review of mining and energy industry impacts to trust resources.

(4) Tom Landwehr -- DNR Commissioner:

Before being appointed (by Governor Dayton) as DNR commissioner, Landwehr was the assistant state director for The Nature Conservancy in Minnesota, North and South Dakota. Before leaving the DNR in 1999, Landwehr worked under the agency for 17 years as a research biologist, wildlife manager and Wetland Wildlife Program leader. He's also been a state conservation director for Ducks Unlimited in Minnesota and Iowa.

(5) Bob McFarlin -- Vice President of Public and Government Affairs, Twin Metals:

Prior to joining Twin Metals, McFarlin was a vice president in the corporate, community and public affairs practice in the Minneapolis-St. Paul office of Weber Shandwick. McFarlin also served 14 years (nonconsecutive) in public service in a variety of public and government affairs roles at the Minnesota Department of Transportation (Mn/DOT) and was appointed acting commissioner of Mn/DOT by former Governor Tim Pawlenty in February 2008. McFarlin has also served as president of MCF Consulting Group; executive director to the Board of Trustees at Minnesota State Colleges and Universities; public affairs director for the Minnesota Petroleum Council and as staff to the Minnesota House of Representatives.

"Community Perspectives on Violence in America"

Panel Discussion

The panel:

(1) Aaron Boyson studies the social, psychological, and communicative impacts of exposure to mass media with an emphasis on childhood. His work has drawn a focus on violence in the media, including why people choose to consume it, outcomes from repeated exposure, and how both news and entertainment portray violence on screen. Boyson earned his doctorate from Michigan State University where his dissertation analyzed the relationship between media violence exposure and homicidal thinking. He has been on the Communication faculty at UMD since 2006 teaching classes in media effects, media theory, and quantitative research methods.

(2) Frank Jewell is a member of the St. Louis County Board representing the 1st District and Chair of the County Board’s Central Management and Intergovernmental Committee. In 2011, Frank was appointed by Governor Dayton to the Clean Water Council. He is a former Duluth City Councilor. In 1996 helped found Men as Peacemakers Director, a nonprofit working throughout the state to prevent violence, and from 2000 thru 2011 he was the Executive Director. In 1997 and 1998 he authored report, funded by the Joyce Foundation, on calls to 911 in which a gun was mentioned and followed those calls to arrests, prosecution and sentence. Frank has developed many highly successful programs and has built numerous well-functioning collaborative partnerships between organizations and institutions. He is a skilled and experienced group facilitator, trainer, and presenter.

(3) Russ Stewart teaches philosophy at Lake Superior College. He also served two terms on the Duluth City Council where he was first elected as a member of the Green Party. Eight years in local politics forced him to confront the reality of government inefficiency, waste, and corruption. He emerged from this experience a self-proclaimed libertarian and advocate of individual autonomy.

(4) Jeff Maahs is an Associate Professor in the Department of Sociology-Anthropology at the University of Minnesota Duluth. He received his Ph.D. in Criminal Justice from the University of Cincinnati in 2000. His research and teaching interests include corrections (prisons, probation, correctional interventions), criminological theory, criminal law, and crime in the media. He has published numerous book chapters and scholarly journal articles in these areas.

(5) Joan Peterson is a graduate of UMD in Speech Pathology. She worked in St. Paul and Duluth Public Schools as School Speech Language Pathologist until retirement. In 1992 her sister, Barbara Lund, was murdered by her estranged husband in a domestic shooting. Joan has been actively involved with the issue of gun violence prevention since 2000 when she attended the Million Mom March in Washington D.C. Joan is now the Co-President of the Northland Brady/Protect Minnesota Chapter; on Board of Domestic Abuse Intervention Programs; Board Chair of Protect Minnesota, working to end gun violence and of the national Brady Campaign to prevent gun violence.

(6) Jacqueline Buffington-Vollum is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Sociology and Anthropology at UMD. A forensic clinical psychologist by training, her primary teaching and research interests revolve around the overrepresentation of people with mental illness in the criminal justice system and how the system can most effectively and ethically respond. Mental illness stigma and the media's role in propagating this is another of her focus areas. She is a co-author of the book, Criminalization of Mental Illness: Crisis and Opportunity for the Justice System (2nd edition).

(7) Scott Vollum is an Assistant Professor in the Sociology-Anthropology Department at the University of Minnesota, Duluth. At this time, his primary areas of academic interest/research are the death penalty, lethal violence, violence against animals, restorative justice, media and crime, and moral disengagement. He currently teaches classes on violence/non-violence, the death penalty, restorative justice, sociology of law and research methods. He is author of the book Last Words and The Death Penalty: Voices of the Condemned and Their Co-Victims and co-author of the book The Death Penalty: Constitutional Issues, Commentaries and Case Briefs.

"Wolf Hunt Panel Discussion"

Panel Discussion

The panel:

1. L. David Mech: a Senior Scientist with the Biological Resources Division, U.S. Geological Survey and an Adjunct Professor in the Department of Fisheries, Wildlife and Conservation Biology, and Ecology, Evolution and Behavior at the University of Minnesota. Mech is also founder and vice chair of the International Wolf Center, and chair of the IUCN Wolf Specialist Group. His books include: (1) Wolves: Behavior, Ecology, and Conservation; (2) The Wolves of Minnesota: Howl in the Heartland; (3) The Wolves of Denali; (3) The Arctic Wolf: Ten Years With the Pack; (4) Wolves of the High Arctic; (5) The Way of the Wolf; (6) The Arctic Wolf: Living With the Pack; (7) A Handbook of Animal Radio-Tracking; (8) The Wolf: The Ecology and Behavior of an Endangered Species; (9) The Wolves of Isle Royale.

2. Sam Cook: He has been a writer/columnist with the Duluth News Tribune for 32 years. He writes the column -- "Outdoors with Sam Cook". His books include: (1) Moving Waters: Adventures on Northern Rivers; (2) Up North; (3) Friendship Fires; (4) Quiet Magic (Outdoor Essays & Reflections)

3. Mark Johnson: Executive Director, Minnesota Deer Hunters Association. Over the last 30 years MDHA has improved upon and developed its mission of “working for tomorrow’s wildlife and hunters today.” With 65 chapters and nearly 20,000 members throughout the state, MDHA works in Minnesota for Minnesota through four main tenets which include hunting, habitat, education and legislation.

4. Howard Goldman: Minnesota Senior State Director, The Humane Society. He has been an animal advocate for more than 30 years and The HSUS's Minnesota senior state director since 2008. Before joining The HSUS, he directed a wildlife-protection group focused on banning leghold traps and protecting gray wolves, black bears, lynx, and bobcats. Under Goldman's direction, the group successfully banned or restricted trapping in 30 Minnesota communities, and helped defeat legislation to establish a greyhound racetrack.

5. Maureen Hackett: Founder, Howling for Wolves --- Howling for Wolves was created to be a voice for wild wolves. It aims to educate the public about Minnesota’s wolf population and let people know how they can take action to keep wild wolves in a self-sustaining existence. The Center for Biological Diversity and Howling for Wolves filed a lawsuit on 9/18 against the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources challenging the agency’s failure to provide a formal opportunity for public comment on recently approved rules establishing wolf hunting and trapping.

"Kill or No-Kill"

Panel Discussion

The Panel:

(1) Betsy Bode, Shelter Program Manager for the Animal Allies Humane Society (AAHS) -- AAHS strives to ensure a lifetime of loving care for every pet by reducing overpopulation, increasing adoption, and fostering humane values.

(2) Chris Maddox, Board Member and Bully Breed Coordinator, Ruff Start Rescue – Ruff Start Rescue is one of the largest nonprofit, No-Kill, 501c3 rescue organization in Minnesota focused on saving stray, neglected, abandoned and surrendered companion dogs and cats, as well as ferrets, guinea pigs and rabbits. Chris has been an animal advocate for 15 years and became involved with Ruff Start Rescue in June of 2013. He has been a part of many different areas within the rescue including volunteering and fostering, running adoption events, intake coordinating, home visits, and transports. Chris currently serves as a Board Member and manager of the rescue’s Bully Breed Program.

(3) Mike Fry, animal advocate, public speaker, educator and blogger -- He was the Executive Director of Animal Ark, Minnesota's largest no kill animal welfare organization. He was also the co-host of the weekly, syndicated Animal Wise Radio program. Fry has worked in the field of animal welfare for more than 20 years.

(4) Janelle Dixon, President/CEO of the Animal Humane Society -- Dixon is engaged on a national level in the animal welfare industry. She serves as board chair of the National Federation of Humane Societies and as board member and treasurer for Shelter Animals Count. Additionally, Dixon serves on the Companion Animal Advisory Council for HSUS and is a member of the Society of Animal welfare Administrators.

Press Coverage of Older Events

Duluth News Tribune on Blue Law Panel

Duluth News Tribune on Debate 7A

Duluth News Tribune on Jeremy Youde's Talk

MinnPost mentions the Medical Marijuana Panel

MJ Headline News mentions the Medical Marijuana Panel

MinnPost mentions the Copper/Nickel Panel

Duluth News Tribune on the Wolf Panel

Duluth News Tribune on Mayor Ness's Talk

www.WDIO. com

Gay Marriage Draws Big Crowd at UMD

Posted at: 02/06/2012 10:49 PM

By: Dayna Landgrebe

Hundreds packed into a UMD lecture hall on Monday night, discussing both sides of an upcoming ballot amendment for Minnesota. It's over whether gay marriage should be banned in the state.

The panel discussion was sponsored by UMD's Center for Ethics and Public Policy. The panel was comprised of four members both for and against the November initiative. The goal was to give audience members a more informed view to better understand both sides.

Panelist Teresa Collett is a lawyer and professor of law at the University of St. Thomas. She said she supports the marriage amendment.

"Our argument is that this is a question that the people should decide, and that Minnesota got it right when they currently defined it as the union of one man and one woman," Collett said.

Jason Ford also spoke on the panel. He is a associate professor of philosophy at UMD and is against the amendment. He gave this synopsis, saying "Same sex couples do just as well as opposite sex couples at being parents, forming relationships, and without there being a good reason to infringing on civil liberties, we shouldn't."

Sen. D. Scott Dibble (DFL-Minneapolis) and Jason Adkins, Vice Chairman of the Minnesota for Marriage campaign, also served on the panel.

Gay marriage is already illegal in the state of Minnesota, but the initiative would re-write the state constitution against it if it passes by ballot votes in November 2012.

Panel discussion held on MN Marriage Amendment

POSTED BY STATESMAN ⋅ FEBRUARY 8, 2012

BY NIKI CUSTER

cust0023@d.umn.edu

UMD’s Center for Ethics and Public Policy (CEPP) sponsored a panel discussion on the legal and ethical concerns of the upcoming Minnesota Marriage amendment last Monday, Feb. 6.

If passed, the amendment, which will appear on the November 2012 ballot, will legally define marriage as a union between a man and a woman.

Shane Courtland, assistant professor of Philosophy at UMD and director of the CEPP, said he brought the panel of speakers together with the goal of providing students with knowledgeable people on the subject who could explain the various points of view and why one might back one over another.

Although the discussion was heated at times, these varying perspectives that helped to give the event an unbiased atmosphere. With two panel speakers clearly for the passing of the Minnesota Marriage Amendment and two speakers against it, it was an evenly matched and informative discussion.

Courtland started by requesting the respect of everyone in the audience, before introducing Senator D. Scott Dibble.

Dibble, a member of the Minnesota State Senate for almost 10 years, is the third openly gay legislator to serve in the state’s Legislature and is very clearly against the passing of the amendment.

“Love belongs to everyone,” he said, starting off his 10-minute time slot.

He focused on love and the freedoms granted to American citizens before discussing the converse.

“No one is helped by this constitutional amendment. It does not provide one job; it doesn’t fix the economy,” Dibble said.

He ended his time saying, “No one’s freedom is enhanced by taking away other people’s freedom.”

Following the senator was Jason Adkins. Adkins is the vice chairman of the Minnesota for Marriage campaign, the organization created to pass the amendment. He received his law degree from the University of Minnesota Law School, where he still serves as an adjunct professor.

“The amendment simply puts current state law defining marriage as a union between a man and a woman in the constitution,” Adkins said. “It prevents politicians and judges from redefining marriage, which is something they have no right to do.”

He made sure to explain that the amendment does not take away anyone’s rights or tell anyone whom they can or cannot love. Adkins proposes strengthening the institution of marriage, rather than redefining it.

The other two speakers, both professors, focused more on the legalities and ethics of passing the amendment.

Jason Ford, a professor in the Philosophy department at UMD, came prepared with a PowerPoint presentation and examples of studies to help him argue against the amendment.

“Religion doesn’t play an essential role in civil marriage,” Ford said. “Marriage in the United States has always been a civil matter.”

He added that religious leaders could choose whether or not to recognize such civil matters, but that the recognition, or lack thereof, has no effect under state law.

Ford ended his time urging the audience to go vote on Nov.6, and was met with overwhelmingly loud applause and cheers.

The final speaker was Teresa Collett, a professor of Law at the University of St. Thomas. She arrived ready with statistical evidence and plenty of examples to back them up.

She spent a majority of her time discussing children and the proper ways in which they should be brought up. She said the ideal situation for a child is to be raised by its biological mother and biological father.

Not passing the amendment “will allow the government to punish me for what I believe in,” she said.

Courtland went into the night with plans to give potential voters a more enlightened discourse on the topic.

“I hope to have people, regardless of what side they are on, to have more appreciation of the different interests involved and to become, when it’s time to vote, more enlightened and make informed choices,” he said.

Sophomore Women’s Studies major Kate Mensing shares these values.

“As a member of the QASU (Queer and Allied Student Union) and a caring member of the community, I feel that it is really important to be educated on both sides,” Mensing said.

The general goal of the CEPP seems to follow these same ideologies as well. Courtland said the CEPP aims to showcase issues that affect the local community, yet highlight them in a slightly more academic context.

Hoping to reach out to students, the CEPP is planning to start an internship next year, and is currently hosting an essay contest with a reward of $250 in textbook reimbursement. Details on the contest can be found at www.sites.google.com/a/d.umn.edu/cepp/call-for-papers.

The Center’s next event will be a talk by the former Mayor of Duluth Gary Doty, who will discuss politics and leadership. It will be held in the Griggs Center on Feb. 15 at 4 pm.

Domiano Leader Talks about Depth of Poverty in Duluth

Posted at: 12/05/2011 10:47 PM

By: Dayna LandgrebeAbout 100 people packed into a lecture at UMD on Monday night, talking about the impact and depth of poverty in Duluth.

Dave Benson, Executive Director of the Damiano Center, held the talk, called "Poverty in Duluth: Alien Neighbors, Plastic Santas, and the Uncharted Future." Benson said the issue of poverty is something that affects all of our well-being as a community. He said has many people are thinking about it now, especially around the holidays.

"This is a really hard time because of the recession. At the Damiano Center we've seen a really sharp increase of numbers of people we're serving and

that's true of all the agencies who work with issues of hunger and poverty and shelter and other really

basic needs," Benson said.

Benson also said the most potent thing people can do as a community is to be aware of the issues surrounding the less fortunate.

Monday's talk was sponsored by UMD's Center for Public Policy and Ethics.

The Damiano Center in Duluth works to give food, clothing and assistance those who need it most.

www.WDIO.com

Former Duluth Mayor Doty Talks Leadership, Politics

Posted at: 02/15/2012 6:49 PM

Updated at: 02/15/2012 11:19 PM

By: Dayna Landgrebe

Former Duluth Mayor Gary Doty used his experience in elected office to talk politics in Duluth on Wednesday.

Doty has held elected office at the state, county and city level. He most recently retired as Duluth's Mayor in 2004.

A self-described political junkie, Doty said Wednesday's talk was on different leadership styles. He said there's no one method that works perfectly for a city like Duluth, and compared his approach to that of other leaders.

"There are other people I'm going to talk about like Jeno Paulucci and Alan Klapmeier and a few others, and there's different styles. There isn't any one style that's more successful than the others," Doty said.

Wednesday's event was sponsored by the Kirby Leadership Institute and the Center for Ethics and Public Policy.

www.WDIO.com

What are the Ethics of Upcoming Wolf Hunts?

Posted at: 10/05/2012 11:02 PM

By: Dayna Landgreben

In less than two months, both Minnesota and Wisconsin will start their first ever wolf hunts. On Friday night, folks listened to a panel on the legal and ethical concerns of the upcoming season.

The panel discussion featured a mix of advocates, both for and against. Director Shane Courtland with the Center for Ethics and Public Policy, which hosted Friday's panel, said the event isn't a rally. He said it's about putting knowledgeable sides together to inform others.

"It's one thing to preach to the choir... but it's much different to engage with someone of a different opinion and who's actually very well literate in the actual field, and that will provide more of the enlightening exchanges than, say, just a regular rally," Courtland said.

Grey wolves were taken off the endangered species list for the Great Lakes Region in January 2012. Wolf hunts for Minnesota and Wisconsin start on November 24 and 26, respectively.

www.WDIO.com

Hundreds at UMD Hall for Copper & Nickel Mining Discussion

Posted at: 04/09/2013 10:10 PM | Updated at: 04/09/2013 10:48 PM

By: Alan Hoglund ahoglund@wdio.com

Hundreds of people packed a UMD hall Tuesday night to listen to a panel discussion about copper and nickel mining in northeastern Minnesota.

Before the panel discussion, Eyewitness News spoke with two panelists on opposite sides of the debate.

Bob McFarlin, with mining company Twin Metals Minnesota, said "we'd be imploring underground techniques which have great environmental benefits. It minimizes the surface impact and gives us opportunities to store waste - which is always part of the mining process - underground and away from water sources."

Betsy Daub, with Friends of the Boundary Waters Wilderness, said "these types of mines have always polluted their nearby waters every place that they have been done in the country. These are high-risk polluting mines that we're talking about putting near places Minnesotans care a whole lot about."

Twin Metals is exploring copper and nickel mining in northeastern Minnesota. Meanwhile, Polymet intends on doing that type of mining the Iron Range but is still in the permitting process.

www.WDIO.com

Minn. Medical Marijuana Bill Forum Draws Huge Crowd

Posted at: 11/11/2013 10:16 PM | Updated at: 11/11/2013 10:27 PM

By: Alan Hoglund ahoglund@wdio.com

Legislation by an Iron Range DFL'er is drawing big attention in Duluth.

More than 200 people attended a public forum at UMD Monday on a bill to legalize marijuana introduced this spring with help from Rep. Carly Melin, DFL-Hibbing. Since then she's been getting input and feedback from the public.

Melin said medical marijuana will offer pain relief with fewer side effects. She also said there are stiff penalties should anyone misuse the system.

"If you have a medical marijuana card, so your doctor has recommended you be treated with medical marijuana, and you get the marijuana and give it to someone who doesn't have that card, you are subject to prosecution of a felony," she said.

Melin also explained that her bill includes a specific list of conditions a patient would have to have in order to be eligible for a medical marijuana prescription. Her examples included cancer, glaucoma, HIV, Hepatitic C, PTSD, and chronic or debilitating diseases.

But Rep. Bob Barrett, R-Lindstrom, who has publicly come out against the bill, told Eyewitness News he is concerned about loopholes. He said the Department of Health would be able to change the list of conditions.

Barrett said there are a lot of questions that need to be answered before the next session starts in February.

Barrett asked "who would be able to get it? What would they get? Who would grow it? What's in it? Is it high THC, low THC? High CBD, low CBD...those are fascinating and important issues that we need to understand."

THC and CBD are both ingredients in marijuana.

Governor Mark Dayton has come out in opposition to medical marijuana in the past.

Melin said it's because law enforcement in Minnesota opposes its use. But she said she is trying to change that and plans to meet with law enforcement this week.

Panel Discussion Talks Mining

April 9, 2013 Updated Apr 10, 2013 at 11:39 AM CDT

Duluth, MN (NNCNOW.com) - From copper and nickel to iron ore, the Northland has a strong past, present and future in the mining industry, but not without ethical and legal concerns.

It's the constant battle between preserving the environment and creating jobs and economic development.

The panel discussion at UMD on Tuesday, was designed to bring together people on both sides of the issues.

Representatives from Twin Metals, the DNR, the Natural resources Research Institute at UMD and Friends of the Boundry Waters Wilderness were among the panelists.

The TwinMedals Vice President of Public Affairs cited benefits to the economy such as the creation of 17,000 jobs from the construction point to operation.

On the other side, a representative with the boundary waters group said sulfuric mining is new to the state and has had consequences to the environment elsewhere.

However, through research, there is evidence that it is possible to preserve the environment and have a mine.

"When you do what the industry is saying while maintaining things like what we have to have for wild rice...preserve the culture for growing wild rice not hurting the plants, etc. and based on what I saw with the Flambau mine over there, the answer is probably yes," said Donald Fosnacht, Director with the Center for Applied REsearch and Technology Development.

"The record of these kinds of mines, the pollution, the financial cost that tax payers are left with because this can be pollution that lasts literally forever...impossible to clean up, is this really what we want to bring to the boundary waters?" said Betsy Daub, Policy Director with Friends of the Boundary Waters Wilderness.

The DNR Commissioner also explained their role in mining which is to promote and regulate the industry.

Minnesota houses the third largest copper–nickel reserves in the world and has 99% of nickel in the United States.

The discussion was hosted by UMD's Center of Ethics and Public Policy department.

Posted to the web by Kati Anderson.

kanderson@kbjr.com

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Director, Center for Ethics and Public Policy (2011 - 2016): From September 2011 to 2016, I was the Director of UMD's Center for Ethics and Public Policy.

* Developed a media presence for the Center. While I was the director, Center events garnered twenty-one televised news appearances, eight newspaper articles, and nine radio interviews.

* Organized many events that produced large crowds (100 or more).

* Featured in an article (January 2013: pp. 8-9) of Duluth-Superior Magazine. The article, "4 under 40" centered upon four individuals (under the age of forty) who are "transforming" Duluth. The portion that centers on me focuses upon my directorship of the Center.

* Participated in a panel at the Eastern APA (2014) for my work constructing the Center.

* Awarded 2016 Chancellor’s Award for Outstanding Public Service (1 of 1, campus-wide).

Videos, some just audio, of Center Events (while I was the director):

Eric Mack

"Self-Love, Social Cooperation, and Justice"

April 9th (2015)

Jason Brennan

"Why Not Capitalism?"

April 30th (2015)

David Schmidtz

"After Solipsism"

September 10th (2015)

Cathy Wurzer (MPR) and Ev Emerson (Bruce Kramer’s spouse)

"Living while Dying"

October 23rd (2015)

Becky Pettit, Professor of Sociology at the University of Texas-Austin

"Invisible Men: Mass Incarceration and the Myth of Black Progress"

November 4th (2015)

Peter David, Commission Biologist for the Great Lakes Indian Fish & Wildlife Commission (GLIFWC)

"Respecting the Ricing Moon – A biologist’s thoughts on preserving the Ojibwe’s relationship with Manoomin"

January 20th (2016)

Ashley Nellis, Senior Research Analyst, The Sentencing Project

"Life Sentences in America: A Key Feature of Mass Incarceration"

February 15th (2016)

Steven Raphael is Professor of Public Policy at UC Berkeley.

"Prison and Crime Control: evidence of diminishing returns to scale"

March 1st (2016)

Dick Carpenter (Institute for Justice)

"Cops, Inc.: How Civil Asset Forfeiture Threatens Property Rights by Encouraging Policing for Profit"

March 30th (2016)

Jeffrey Smith (The New School)

"The Roots of Urban Rage: From Ferguson to Mass Incarceration"

April 15th (2016)

Duane Cady (Hamline University)

"Moral Injury"

April 22nd (2016)

Matt Zwolinski

"Exploitation, Neglect, and the Psychology of Moral Judgment: Why you’re probably worse than a price gouger, and why you probably don’t believe it."

April 1st (2015)

Roderick Long, Professor of Philosophy, Auburn University

"How (and Why) to Be a Free-Market Radical Leftist."

February 27th (2015)

Loren Lomasky, Cory Professor of Political Philosophy, Policy and Law, University of Virginia

"Milking the Young"

March 27th (2015)

Rev. Nancy E. Maeker, Executive Director (retired), A Minnesota Without Poverty

"A Minnesota Without Poverty: Working Toward Enough for All"

November 6th (2014)

Jeremy Youde, Associate Professor of Political Science

"Spacesuits, Secret Serums, and Panic: What the Ebola Outbreak Tells Us about Global Health Governance"

October 2nd (2014)

Liz Kuoppala, Executive Director, Minnesota Coalition for the Homeless

"Homelessness in Minnesota"

December 4th (2014)

"Minnesota Compassionate Care Act of 2015 (SF 1880): Should Minnesota Embrace a Right to Die"

Panel Discussion

Economic Inequality Panel

Panel Discussion

Winona LaDuke

Dr. Vandana Shiva - "Making Peace with the Earth"

"Minnesota, Alcohol & Blue Laws"

Panel Discussion

"The Right Ways to Hunt"

Panel Discussion

Debate for Minnesota 7A

~~~Candidates ~~~

Jennifer Schultz

DFL Candidate

Kristine Osbakken

Green Party Candidate

Becky Hall

Republican Candidate

"Medical Marijuana in Minnesota"

Panel Discussion

"Voter ID, How Does it Impact Your Voice?"

Panel Discussion

~Candidates ~