INDIANAPOLIS — Matthew Sherman, Ph.D. will serve as the Semler Chair for Applied Ethics at Marian University’s Walker Center for Applied Ethics. Sherman currently serves as associate professor and chair of the Department of Theology and Philosophy at Marian.
In his new role, Sherman’s responsibilities will include teaching, scholarly research in consultation with relevant departments, support for faculty development and curriculum development in ethics, and providing expert consultation on ethics issues. He will report to Elizabeth Coit, Marian University’s executive director of the Walker Center for Applied Ethics.
“I am excited to have Dr. Sherman in this role as we launch the Walker Center,” Elizabeth Coit, executive director of the Walker Center for Applied Ethics, said. “Matt brings tremendous depth of knowledge in ethics as well as a unique ability to collaborate and educate across academic and community groups. Matt has exciting ideas for how the Walker Center and Marian can build on our long tradition of preparing transformational leaders to become a leader in ethics training and ethical leadership.”
Prior to joining Marian University in 2013, Sherman held faculty positions at Marymount University in Arlington, Va., and Holy Cross College in Notre Dame, Ind. He has also served as a teaching assistant and research assistant at Boston College, and taught English and mathematics at St. John’s Summer High School in Shrewsbury, Mass.
Sherman completed his undergraduate education at Brown University where he earned an A.B. with a concentration in biomedical ethics. He also holds a M.T.S. from Harvard Divinity School and a Ph.D. in Theological Ethics from Boston College.
“I am honored and excited to begin my work for the Walker Center,” Sherman said. “Marian’s mission involves an essential commitment to character formation and ethical decision making, informed by the Catholic and Franciscan traditions. I am eager to advance this commitment through innovative curricula, publication, and professional outreach.”
Marian University launched the Walker Center for Applied Ethics in September 2019. The Walker Center’s mission is to advance a more ethical world by improving and evolving the interdisciplinary teaching of ethics and by bridging the gap between research and organizational best practices. Areas of focus will include applied research, as well as ethics programs for business leaders and employees, students and alumni.
The Walker Center is named after Frank D. Walker, Chairman Emeritus of Walker Information, and the Walker Family Foundation, whose lead gift led to its establishment. Funding for the Semler Chair for Applied Ethics comes from OneAmerica and is named for Jerry Semler, chairman emeritus for The Companies of OneAmerica. The gift was made at the time of Semler’s retirement from the company.
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About Marian University Indianapolis
Founded in 1937, Marian University is the only Catholic university in Indianapolis and central Indiana. In 2020, Marian is serving more than 2,400 undergraduate and 1,160 graduate students earning degrees in the arts, business, education, engineering, math, medicine, nursing, ministry, and the natural and physical sciences. The university’s high-impact, experiential curriculum is designed to provide hands-on, collaborative learning opportunities for students from 40 states and 23 nations. Marian climbed in U.S. News & World Report’s 2020 Midwestern rankings to be named #6 Most Innovative Regional University, #15 Best Value University, and #30 Best Regional University. Marian University opened its College of Osteopathic Medicine in 2013, making it the first new school of medicine in the state of Indiana in 110 years. Marian’s national champion varsity athletic programs include the 2012 and 2015 NAIA Football Championship, the 2016 and 2017 NAIA Women’s Basketball Championship, the 2019 NAIA Women’s Volleyball Championship, and more than 40 USA Cycling national championships.
