John J. Reilly Center for Science, Technology, and Values

History

The University’s John J. Reilly Center for Science, Technology, and Values was established in 1985. It is named for the father of an alumnus whose gift created the initial endowment for the Center. The Center’s first academic initiative, an undergraduate minor Program in Science, Technology, and Values, was launched in 1986 with the aid of a three-year start-up grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities. Since then the Reilly Center has received external financial support for many programs and activities from the National Science Foundation as well as the NEH. In addition, the Lilly Endowment, the Hazen Endowment for Excellence, the Templeton Foundation, and the former GTE Foundation have also generously supported the work of the Center.

Mission

In keeping with the University’s mission as a preeminent Catholic university, the Center endeavors to make a distinctive contribution to the humanistic understanding of science and technology. The Center is committed to advancing our knowledge (a) of science and technology as human, knowledge-producing endeavors, and (b) of the variety of ways these rapidly changing institutions affect and are, in turn, influenced by society at large.

Through conferences and publications emphasizing the complementary roles of scientific, technological, ethical, and theological perspectives, the Center seeks to disseminate outstanding work reflecting the vital interplay of these viewpoints, as well as to inform and stimulate broad public discussion of critical issues. At the Center, faculty, students and visiting scholars are engaged in research, individually and collectively, on topics spanning the fields of science and technology studies. Within the larger Notre Dame community, the Center endeavors to foster a greater awareness of the significance and complexity of interactions among science, technology, and society.

People

The center maintains offices at 309 O’Shaughnessy Hall and is directed by Prof. Gerald McKenny (theology). Prof. Don Howard (philosophy) serves as director of the Graduate Program in History and Philosophy of Science, and Prof. Sheri Alpert) is acting director of the Science, Technology, and Values academic minor program. A Center Advisory Board, comprised of distinguished alumni, scholars, and individuals in public life, assists the Center with long-range planning. A group of elected Faculty Fellows of the Reilly Center is responsible for operational oversight of all Center programs.