UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — The Rock Ethics Institute (REI) is accepting applications for its 2027–28 Faculty Fellows Program. The deadline to apply is Nov. 8.
The institute anticipates awarding two fellowships, each providing a one-course release from teaching during the academic year to support ethics-related research. For each fellowship, the institute will provide up to $7,500 in buyout funds to the faculty member's department or college to compensate for the course release.
Established in 2015, the REI Faculty Fellows program encourages innovative approaches to ethics-related research across disciplines, supports interdisciplinary collaboration and promotes moral literacy and ethical leadership throughout Penn State.
The program welcomes proposals from faculty in all disciplines, particularly projects addressing the ethical dimensions of subjects such as artificial intelligence, climate and sustainability, health, criminal justice, food and agriculture, race and technology. Projects that engage community partners, involve students as collaborators or may lead to curricular innovations and additional research funding are especially encouraged.
Fellows are expected to participate actively in the institute's intellectual community, attend REI events and present their research at public colloquia.
Four Penn State faculty members are participating in the 2026–27 Faculty Fellows program, pursuing projects that address environmental justice, Indigenous data governance, climate resilience and social sustainability in the built environment.
2026–27 Rock Ethics Institute Faculty Fellows
Yan Lin, associate professor of geography, is conducting research titled "Participatory Metadata as Ethical Infrastructure for Environmental Data: Integrating CARE Principles and Critical Data Studies through Community-Based Research." Working with Tribal partners, Lin is investigating how environmental data can be shared without losing the cultural context and community knowledge that give it meaning. Her project seeks to develop approaches to data sharing that respect Indigenous governance, community authority and ethical responsibilities.
Alexandra Staub, professor of architecture, is pursuing "Theorizing Social Value in the Built Environment." Her research examines how the concept of social value can inform decisions about architecture, land use and urban development. By studying land-use policies, legal frameworks and decision-making processes, Staub seeks to advance an understanding of how buildings and communities can be designed and developed to support more equitable and socially sustainable outcomes.
2026–27 Rock Ethics Institute and Maurice K. Goddard Chair Faculty Fellows
Mook Bangalore, assistant professor of public policy, is investigating "Dam Releases and Environmental Justice in Nigeria: Understanding Community Perspectives." His project examines how water releases from dams affect nearby communities, particularly marginalized populations that may receive inadequate flood warnings. Using survey data from communities near three Nigerian dams, Bangalore aims to identify environmental justice concerns and inform more equitable approaches to managing climate-resilient infrastructure.
Mark Ortiz, assistant professor of geography, is pursuing "Chronicling Environmental Memory and Grassroots Socioecological Resilience Strategies in the U.S. Southeast: A Community-Engaged Book Project in North Carolina." Drawing on interviews with environmental justice leaders, community partnerships and creative storytelling methods, Ortiz is examining how North Carolina communities are responding to climate change while confronting longstanding environmental inequalities. His research seeks to document community knowledge and grassroots approaches to environmental resilience.
Application information
Penn State faculty at all career levels and campuses are eligible to apply, subject to program eligibility requirements. Applicants must submit an application cover sheet with appropriate administrative signatures, a 100-word abstract, a project description of no more than 2,000 words and an abbreviated curriculum vitae of no more than five pages.
All application materials must be submitted as a single PDF file to rockethics@psu.edu by Nov. 8. Successful applicants will be notified in mid-December.
Complete eligibility requirements, application instructions and additional information are available on the Rock Ethics Institute Faculty Fellows Program website. Questions about the program or application process may be directed to rockethics@psu.edu.
The Rock Ethics Institute was established in 2001 through the support of Doug and Julie Rock. The institute's mission is to promote engaged ethics research and ethical leadership from its home in Penn State's College of the Liberal Arts.