Centre College's Harry Chalmers to be published in scientific journal

DANVILLE, KY (11/11/2011)(readMedia)-- A paper by Harry Chalmers of Murfreesboro, a senior at Centre College, for a biomedical ethics course was accepted for publication in a special edition of the Princeton "Journal of Bioethics."

"All of the past articles in the journal are from students at Princeton, Harvard, Yale, NYU and Georgetown, so he is in great and competitive company," says assistant professor of philosophy Daniel Kirchner. "His paper is of exceptional quality, and I'm very proud that his work is being recognized by a national conference of such high stature."

The journal publication will coincide with the 2011 Princeton Bioethics Conference, which Chalmers and fellow Centre student Lauren Mashburn of Madisonville, Ky., were invited to attend. He will be one of only eight students to present a paper at the conference.

"My paper is about the ethics of eugenics, particularly positive eugenics - that is, eugenic practices aimed at increasing the incidence of desired genes and traits, as opposed to negative eugenics, or eugenic practices aimed at reducing the incidence of undesired genes and traits," Chalmers explains. "Apart from trying to show that positive eugenics is morally obligatory in some important sense, I try to clarify the nature of eugenics itself and address some of the misconceptions surrounding it, such as the misconception that it is necessarily coercive.

"I will have the opportunity to hear other intelligent and dedicated students voice their reflections on various bioethical issues, issues that continually impact us all," Chalmers continues. "I will also have the chance not only to present my paper, but to listen to the critical input of others on the ideas I share. It should be a great learning experience."

Kirchner is proud that his students will be representing the Centre community at a national level.

"These papers are impressive because they show the terrific ability of Centre students to take difficult theoretical arguments and apply them to the practical problems that arise with complicated medical advances," says Kirchner. "They should be proud - I'm very pleased in their achievement, and the way it raises awareness about the role ethics and philosophy play in practical problems."

Chalmers is the son of Jay and Eileen Chalmers of Murfreesboro and is a graduate of Middle Tennessee Christian School.

Centre College, founded in 1819 and chosen to host its second Vice Presidential Debate in 2012, is ranked among the U.S. News top 50 national liberal arts colleges, at 42nd in the nation, and ranks 27th for best value among national liberal arts colleges. Forbes magazine ranks Centre 34th among all the nation's colleges and universities and has named Centre in the top five among all institutions of higher education in the South for three years in a row. The 2010 Open Doors Report, published by the Institute for International Education, ranks the College second in the nation for percentage of students who study abroad.