2025-2026 Bioethics Scholars

Anna is currently a senior and has attended Kent Place since freshman year. She is passionate about science and medicine, and realizes that for any scientific advances to be truly meaningful, one must be able to make conclusions that will maximize the impact to humanity. This inspired Anna to join the Bioethics Project and learn how to grapple with the many tensions that arise at the intersection of science, healthcare, and society. Throughout her bioethics studies, she focused on medical mistrust, and the strain that arises between the duty to protect individual autonomy and protect the health of the greater population. To explore this dilemma, Anna researched behavioral science, journalistic media, social media algorithmic personalization, the commercialization of medicine, and different policies across geographical areas. She has deeply enjoyed the cohort’s lively class discussions, hearing from impressive guest speakers, and expanding her perspectives through these interactions.

Harli is currently a sophomore and has been attending Kent Place for 8 years. She was first introduced to the Bioethics Project in seventh grade by her advisor, Ms. Crowe, which sparked her passion for ethics. This year, Harli focused her research on the ethics of biohacking in the United States, examining the balance between government responsibility and individual autonomy. In particular, she explored the extent to which autonomy should be prioritized within public health legislation. Throughout this course, she especially enjoyed listening to various guest speakers and having the chance to consider a wide range of perspectives on complex ethical issues. Harli is deeply grateful for the opportunity to participate in a program she has aspired to join since 7th grade, and for how it has stretched her public speaking, critical thinking, and analytical skills.

Ella is a current sophomore at Kent Place in her fourth year at the school. As a student who has always enjoyed both STEM and humanities courses, she has thoroughly appreciated how the Bioethics Project intersects scientific and ethical disciplines. She describes her research process as providing her with a breadth of knowledge and invaluable writing, critical thinking, and life skills. Her paper focuses on how the United States government regulates the dietary supplement industry, examining their responsibility to dietary supplement consumers and companies. The cultural relevance of this topic initially drew her in, and she hopes to push others to learn about the industry’s regulation and reflect on the role that governments play in public health. She would like to say a special thank you to her Bioethics Project teachers for their unwavering support throughout her process. She looks forward to the lasting legacy of her research and hopes to continuously pursue Bioethics.

Phoebe is currently a senior at Kent Place and has attended Kent Place since 7th grade. She was inspired to join the Bioethics project this year as she is passionate about the topic of public health. She chose to focus her project on the ethicality of population genomic screening for the BRCA mutation in Ashkenazi Jewish populations. Through this research, she analyzed the consequences and potential challenges of implementing screening, questioning how limited medical resources should be distributed and what role identity should play in healthcare. She is incredibly grateful for the opportunity to participate in such valuable coursework and looks forward to continuing her ethics education in the future.

Kate is currently a senior and has attended Kent Place since tenth grade. She is particularly passionate about the intersection between economics and healthcare as well as the tensions that often rise between the two. She was drawn to the Bioethics Project as a way to bridge these interdisciplinary interests while also exploring broader bioethical issues that shape our world today. Her research focused on the ethical dilemmas related to private equity investment in healthcare, examining whether strong financial motives can coexist with optimized patient care. To evaluate this question, Kate conducted a five-part stakeholder analysis, considering the benefits and shortcomings of private equity investment as well as various motives and points of influence in hospital decision-making. Kate has truly valued the opportunity to be a part of the Bioethics Project and looks forward to continuing her study of bioethics in the future.

Katie is a junior and has attended Kent Place since the fourth grade. Drawn to bioethics by her belief that it is the “soul” of medicine and science, she was inspired to join the Bioethics Project to explore the intersection of public health, technology, and human connection. This year, Katie focused her research on the ethics of integrating autonomous robotic systems into geriatric care in the United States, examining whether robots can ethically supplement emotional companionship as a caregiver. Her research navigated the tensions between autonomy, justice, and the deeply human virtues that define meaningful care, ultimately concluding that robotic integration can be ethical, but only within a strict regulatory framework that positions technology as a supplement to human presence and oversees just distribution across the nation. Katie has especially valued the opportunity to contribute scholarship to a field she cares so deeply about, is most grateful for her teachers and classmates for constantly supporting and challenging her throughout the process, and looks forward to continuing to ask the difficult, nuanced questions that sit at the heart of bioethics.

Krisana is a current sophomore, having attended Kent Place since ninth grade. With her passion for policy, philosophy, and exploring human relations, her journey as part of the Bioethics project was sparked by the opportunity to both delve into her interests and contribute original work to the field. Over the course of this year, she has dissected the ethics of vaccine nationalist policies during public health crises, investigating the obligations we hold to each other and the consequences of disparate access to preventative healthcare globally. With the growing relevance of how we, as a society, define equitable resource distribution, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic, Krisana is grateful that the Bioethics project has enabled her to dissect the fragile balance and intersection between humanitarianism and allocative prioritization. This class has developed her skills of research, analysis, and original thought, while exposing her to the underlying ethical complexities we confront in everyday society, which will prove to be inevitably beneficial as she continues her ethics education.

Nisha is a current junior in her third year at Kent Place School. Passionate about medicine and the future of public health in an era of rapid innovation, she joined the Bioethics Project to closely examine the ethical challenges emerging at the intersection of healthcare, technology, and the evolving boundaries of human life. This year, Nisha chose to research embryoids and the ethical implications of their advancing development, exploring how these stem-cell-derived models are reshaping scientific understandings of personhood, moral value, and the definition of life itself. Through her research, she became particularly interested in the tension between scientific progress and ethical responsibility, especially as emerging technologies continue to outgrow existing moral and legal frameworks. Through this experience, she has strengthened her skills in research, analysis, and original thought, while gaining a deeper understanding of the ethical complexities embedded in modern society. This experience has been both intellectually rigorous and personally meaningful. Nisha is deeply grateful for the opportunity to participate in the Bioethics Project this year and values the chance to engage in nuanced discussions that challenge both scientific innovation and society’s ethical obligations.

Jacquelyn is a current senior, in her ninth year at Kent Place. Planning to pursue a career in law, she was interested in the Bioethics Project as an outlet to engage in multifaceted discussions about ethical issues, and explore how bioethical principles influence public health legislation. This year, Jacquelyn chose to study conscientious objections in healthcare, which allow physicians to refuse to participate in certain medical services based on their moral beliefs. She dissected a local case study about a vaccine-exclusive pediatric practice in Elizabeth, New Jersey to inform her research about conscientious objections, ultimately centering her analysis on the tension between physician responsibilities and patient rights. She was particularly interested in considering when medical refusals become discrimination in healthcare. Jacquelyn is incredibly grateful for the opportunity to participate in the Bioethics Project this year, and is excited to continue to engage in complex ethical discussions in and outside of the classroom.

Talia is currently a senior in her fourth year at Kent Place. She was inspired to participate in the Bioethics Project after viewing previous cohorts’ symposium presentations exploring the humanitarian and ethical facets of healthcare. Over the course of the school year, Talia researched antibiotic resistance and overprescription, exploring different approaches to prescribing antibiotics while minimizing resistance. Ultimately, this project allowed her to uniquely examine the balance between patient and public health interests in physician decision-making. Talia is very grateful for the opportunity to participate in the Bioethics and has thoroughly enjoyed the spirited class discussions, fascinating speaker presentations, and overall diversity of thought she has been exposed to. She is excited to apply the knowledge and curiosity that this class has cultivated in college and beyond.

Sailee is currently a sophomore at Kent Place and has been attending since ninth grade. She was inspired to join the Bioethics Project because of her interest in mental health and the increasing presence of technology in society. This year, Sailee researched the ethicality of the Australian Social Media Ban. She explored the mental, neurological, physical, and social harms associated with adolescent social media use, and whether these harms constitute a public health concern significant enough to warrant government intervention. Sailee is incredibly grateful for the opportunity that the Bioethics Project has given her to strengthen her research, analytical, and public speaking skills. She has enjoyed engaging in thoughtful discussions with her classmates and considering multiple perspectives on complex ethical issues. She looks forward to applying the lessons she has learned through the Bioethics Project as she continues to explore the intersection of technology, mental health, and public policy in the future.

Vivienne “Vivvy” Vengroff, Class of 2027, has attended Kent Place since ninth grade. She started her career in ethics at Far Brook School where she was a part of the Middle School Ethics bowl team. She immediately fell in love with the complex discussions and knew she wanted to be involved with ethics at Kent Place. After watching her first bioethics symposium she knew she wanted to take the course. Intrigued by this year’s topic of public policy, Vivvy applied for Bioethics and hasn’t regretted it. The variety of speakers, class discussions, and mentor and teacher feedback sculpted her topic into what it is today: Gun violence as a public health crisis and understanding what gun regulations mean by “mental fit.” She researched three different nations (Canada, Japan, and the U.S.) to learn their history, culture, and values. She then researched mental illnesses, mental disorders, and their impact on gun violence. This ultimately shaped a skilled analysis that seeks to define mental fitness. Originally, putting her opinions aside seemed an impossible task, but now, after months of hard work, research, and pure determination, the Bioethics course at Kent Place has allowed Vivvy to overthink and question everything in the best possible way.