On December 6th, the University of Cincinnati will become a key site in the Intercollegiate Ethics Bowl (IEB) circuit by hosting a brand-new regional competition. The Association for Practical and Professional Ethics (APPE) — the organization that oversees the entire Intercollegiate Ethics Bowl program and hosts the National Championship — is creating the Ohio River Valley Regional, which will bring top undergraduate teams from Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, and West Virginia to UC’s Tangeman University Center to engage in thought-provoking ethical dialogue and competition.
IEB has become a nationally recognized academic competition that challenges students to think deeply, reason clearly, and engage respectfully about complex ethical dilemmas. Unlike traditional debate formats, Ethics Bowl prioritizes civil dialogue, collaborative thinking, and real-world relevance. Cases may focus on topics ranging from AI and public policy to medical ethics, business practices, climate change, or freedom of speech.
APPE, based at the Prindle Institute for Ethics at DePauw University, has championed ethics education for over three decades. Through conferences, competitions, and resources for scholars and educators, APPE supports interdisciplinary efforts to advance practical and professional ethics across academic and professional spheres.
Cincinnati Ethics Center’s Growing Reputation
The Cincinnati Ethics Center’s successful bid to host this new regional competition reflects its rising national profile in ethics education and outreach. The request to bring a collegiate Ethics Bowl event to UC was backed by a strong track record: in just three years, the Greater Cincinnati Regional High School Ethics Bowl, also run by the CEC, has grown into one of the top three largest competitions in the country. Drawing teams from across Southwest Ohio and Northern Kentucky, the high school bowl has earned praise for its accessibility, academic rigor, and community engagement — establishing UC as a leader in promoting ethical discourse at all levels of education.
“This is more than a competition — this event helps young people to develop some of the critical skills they need to flourish in their personal and professional lives. It also prepares them to be the sort of conscientious, morally thoughtful citizens that this world really needs,” said Dr. Andrew Cullison, Executive Director of the Cincinnati Ethics Center. “We’re thrilled that APPE has recognized our work and chosen UC as a regional hub for collegiate-level discourse.”
A Strategic Opportunity for UC
Hosting the Ohio River Valley Regional is not only a win for the Cincinnati Ethics Center — it’s a major opportunity for the University of Cincinnati to spotlight its graduate programs to a highly motivated and civically engaged group of undergraduates. Ethics Bowl competitors are often top-performing students with interests in law, medicine, business, public service, policy, philosophy, and education. The event will bring them directly onto UC’s campus and into contact with our faculty, staff, and graduate programs.
Colleges and departments across the university have an opportunity to engage with visiting students, share information about research and degree offerings, and build relationships with emerging leaders who are actively thinking about their next academic and professional steps. The CEC will provide tabling opportunities to UC graduate programs.
Help Make It Happen
To make this exciting new regional a success, the Cincinnati Ethics Center is seeking faculty and staff volunteers to serve as judges and moderators. If you’ve previously volunteered at least twice for the high school competition, we strongly encourage you to get involved — but training will also be available for new volunteers.
Serving as a judge or moderator offers a front-row seat to some of the sharpest undergraduate minds in action — and an opportunity to directly support ethical discourse, critical reasoning, and civil engagement across the region.
To learn more or express your interest in tabling and/or volunteering, contact Venus Kent at kentvr@ucmail.uc.edu.
