Title:Dedicated donor helps expand Ethics Lab coursework

Thanks to ongoing philanthropic support from Gabriela M. Wehner, Georgetown’s Ethics Lab is spearheading innovative new undergraduate coursework that looks at artificial intelligence (AI) and health care through the lens of ethics.

“Our novel approach to action-oriented ethics courses, developed over a three-year sandboxing phase, attracts students from every school at Georgetown,” explains Ethics Lab Director Maggie Little. “In 2023, the Ethics Lab is extending its reach to examine the fast-moving ways in which AI is reshaping the health field.

“The next generation of leaders in this field need to understand the human stakes, the promise and parallels, so that they can make responsible decisions about the potential of this technology and how to use it.”

Realizing a vision

Composed of a unique team of philosophers and course designers, the Ethics Lab develops ethics courses around some of the most challenging and high-impact issues society faces, including issues in tech, health, and the environment. It has grown thanks in part to the efforts of Gabriela M. Wehner, who began supporting the Ethics Lab in 2017 with former husband David Wehner (C’90), chief strategy officer for Meta Platforms (formerly known as Facebook). Gabriela later joined Georgetown’s Regents Committee in support of the Kennedy Institute of Ethics.

“Gaby is an extraordinary Ethics Lab partner,” says Little. “She not only sees our vision, she helps create it.”

In 2017, the Wehners donated $250,000 to the David & Gabriela Wehner Current Use Education Fund, which supports the design, development, and launch of undergraduate coursework centered around the application of ethics in social media and democracy.

Steadfast in her commitment to the Ethics Lab, in 2020 Gabriela independently donated $100,000 toward programming focused on ethical challenges stemming from the global pandemic. Those funds were used to develop new methods and tools to help struggling students adapt to remote learning environments.

In June 2023, she made a $250,000 gift to the Ethics Lab, establishing the Gabriela M. Wehner AI and Health Curricular Innovation Current Use Fund to help support the design and delivery of undergraduate coursework related to ethics, AI, and health.

“I’ve always been drawn to the intersection of the sciences and the humanities. Georgetown’s Ethics Lab forges an essential link between them,” says Wehner. “Technology is impacting society at an accelerated pace and the need to examine the ethical implications on humanity has never been greater.”

Her ongoing philanthropy demonstrates her dedication to an institution whose values so closely resonate with her own.

“Knowledge is but one part of an education. It is values that define our very humanity. Georgetown weaves these values into the fabric of education. It’s what distinguishes Georgetown as an exceptional institution and what inspired me to give,” she shares.

“Working with Maggie Little has been immensely gratifying. Her ability to transform a concept from a rough set of intentions into fully operational, thriving programs is remarkable. Working with her has made philanthropy truly gratifying, which is not always the case with other institutions.”

‘An amazing resource’

Established in 2014 as a program of the Kennedy Institute of Ethics, the Ethics Lab works to develop creative methods necessary to help students, policy teams, and organizations understand and integrate principles of integrity into their occupations.

As one of the oldest academic ethics centers in the world, founded with a focus on bioethics, the Ethics Lab is a signature example of Georgetown’s commitment to excellence in teaching and scholarship, according to Daniel Sulmasy, director of the Kennedy Institute for Ethics.

“The Kennedy Institute has long been at the forefront of bringing deep theoretical reflection about ethics to bear upon practical issues in bioethics,” says Sulmasy. “The Ethics Lab, merging design and philosophy, is an amazing resource for discovering new ways of teaching and creating new knowledge through ethical research.”