Meet the team that makes it all happen.
The Prindle Institute for Ethics is staffed by a full-time team of six and a Visiting Scholar in Ethics, in addition to serving as home to the staff of the Association for Practical and Professional Ethics (APPE). We also employ nearly 30 DePauw undergraduate students as Hillman Interns. The Institute’s work is supported by an Advisory Committee comprised of key stakeholders from across various disciplines and campus units at the University.
Jeffrey Dunn, Ph.D.
Phyllis W. Nicholas Director
Jeff received his PhD in philosophy from the University of Massachusetts in 2010 and has taught at DePauw since then, with a brief stint at the University of Agder from 2020-21. From 2017-2023 Dunn served as the secretary-treasurer of the Eastern Division of the American Philosophical Association. At DePauw, he has taught classes about the philosophical and ethical aspects of evolutionary theory, artificial intelligence, scientific practice, game theory, and economics. He has also taught classes on philosophy for children, where DePauw students discuss philosophical topics with elementary students using picture books. His early research focused on traditional and formal epistemology. Dunn’s more recent work explores connections between epistemology and ethics, with a specific focus on consequentialist ethical theories. He is also interested in ethics pedagogy, especially in how to integrate ethics education throughout K-12 and university curricula and was recently awarded an NEH grant to develop a curriculum that bridges business education with the humanities.
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Alex Richardson, Ph.D.
Associate Director, Content Strategy and Engagement
Alex directs the Institute’s digital strategy, encompassing all our educational platforms, services, and experiences, as well as leading national engagement initiatives and partnerships. He also teaches courses in the Department of Philosophy at DePauw, serves on the Board of Directors of the Association for Practical and Professional Ethics, and as Chair of the American Philosophical Association’s Committee on Pre-College Philosophy. His philosophical interests are varied, but as of late, center on issues in moral and civic education. Alex holds a Ph.D. in Philosophy from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.
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Jamie Herman, Ph.D.
Associate Director, Educational and Professional Initiatives
Jamie directs the Institute’s educational and professional initiatives, leading projects that foster ethical engagement across k-12, higher education, and professional contexts. She is a seasoned dialogue facilitator with experience in campus civil discourse and k-12 Philosophy for Children programming. Jamie completed her Ph.D. in Philosophy of Education at The Ohio State University in 2025. Her dissertation project develops a framework for addressing injustice in higher education by analyzing institutions as complex socio-political systems. She is concerned with the way value tensions in education give rise to injustice when translated to practice, and the features of higher education institutions that make addressing these tensions difficult. Jamie joins the Institute from her previous role with Ohio State’s Center for Ethics and Human Values.
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Kristen Fuhs Wells, M.B.A.
Executive Director, Association for Practical and Professional Ethics (APPE)
Kristen directs the Association for Practical and Professional Ethics (APPE)—the world’s largest professional ethics organization, which is headquartered at the Prindle Institute. Previously, she spent more than 12 years as Vice President of Indiana Humanities. Kristen earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Integrated Communications and an M.B.A. in Marketing, both from Butler University. She is active in the Greencastle community, serving as a board member of the Greencastle Civic League and Friends of the Park of Putnam County, and is a co-founder of the Putnam County Mural Project.
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E. Tucker Sechrest, Ph.D.
Editorial Fellow
Tucker manages the Institute’s ethics-in-the-news online magazine, The Prindle Post. He has served as the publication’s Editor In Chief since 2019. Tucker also teaches in the Philosophy Department at DePauw and holds a Ph.D. in Philosophy from Binghamton University.
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David Holiday, Ph.D.
Nancy Schaenen Visiting Scholar in Ethics
David is a moral philosopher who holds a BA in Psychology & Philosophy from Oxford University, an MSc in Philosophy from the University of Edinburgh, and a Ph.D. in Philosophy from the University of Chicago. Previously, he served as Director for the Center for Ethical Leadership at Washington & Jefferson College (PA), and the Jackson Family Center for Ethics and Values at Costal Carolina University (SC). David teaches courses in moral philosophy, applied ethics, and the theory and practice of human rights. His research focuses on moral psychology, and questions of moral harm, repair and community relating to transitional justice. Outside of his professional work, David is a father of two, a passionate cook, a Japanese speaker and anime enthusiast, and a fan of Chicago teams and the mighty Arsenal.
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Haley Thompson, D.Be.
Manager, Campus Ethics Programs
Haley manages a variety of ethics programming that engages the DePauw campus, including the Ethics, Civics, and Leadership Program for first year students and the Hillman Intern Program. Haley received her Doctorate in Bioethics and Health Policy at Loyola University Chicago’s Stritch School of Medicine in 2025. Her research interests include children’s moral reasoning development, pediatric ethics, and organizational ethics. Haley is a 2020 alumna of DePauw University, and previously worked as a Clinical Research Specialist for Indiana University Health’s Comprehensive Cancer Center.
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Brian Cox
Manager, Accounts and Events
Brian manages the Prindle Institute accounts and also coordinates Prindle events, both those on the main DePauw campus and at the Institute’s campus in the DePauw Nature Park.
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Advisory Committee
Members of the Prindle Institute’s Advisory Committee provide wide-ranging expertise and multiple perspectives as they advise on the work of the Institute.
Departmental Members
Town Oh, Economics
Sarah Rowley, History
Jen Everett, Philosophy
Victoria Peters, DePauw Libraries
Janet Voglia, Biology
Justin Glessner, Religious Studies
Amy Sojot, Education Studies
At-Large Members
Eliza Brown, Institute of Music
Ryan Rudderham, Economics
Michael Roberts, Psychology
Ex-Officio Members
Erik Wielenberg, Blair Anderson Endowed Professor, Philosophy
Bridget Gourley, Dean, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
Val Rudolph, Director, Hartman Center for Civic Engagement
Jeffrey Dunn, Phyllis Nicholas Director, Prindle Institute for Ethics
Alex Richardson, Associate Director, Prindle Institute for Ethics
Jamie Herman, Associate Director, Prindle Institute for Ethics