About

ASBH Annual Awards Programs

Nominations for the Lifetime Achievement Award, Distinguished Service Award, and Cornerstone Award are now open. Send your nominations to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for review by the ASBH Awards Nomination Committee. Nominations are due by 11:59 PM CT on Monday, July 3, 2023. The awards will be presented at the ASBH 25th Annual Conference in October. More information about nomination eligibility is included in the Award Nomination Form.

Submit a Nomination

Lifetime Achievement Award

The ASBH Lifetime Achievement Award is the Society's highest honor. It recognizes a distinguished individual for excellence in bioethics and/or the health humanities. It is given in recognition of longstanding achievement in bioethics and/or the health humanities.

Criteria for selection include but are not limited to influential scholarship; research, artistic or literary works; significant scholarly, institutional, or organizational efforts that have enhanced the ethics of clinical practice; and/or meaningful contributions to undergraduate, graduate, professional, or public education in bioethics and/or the health humanities. The awardee is expected to make a 10-15 minute presentation at the ASBH Annual Meeting. Nominees need not be a member of the Society.  

Recipients

2022 - Patricia A. King, JD
2021 - Stuart J. Youngner, MD
2020 - Ezekiel Emanuel, MD PhD
2019 - Christine Grady, PhD RN
2018 - Jonathan Moreno, PhD
2017 - Myra Christopher and Steven Miles, MD
2016 - Arthur Caplan, PhD
2015 - Baruch Brody, PhD
2014 - Nancy Dubler, LLB
2013 - H. Tristram Engelhardt Jr., MD PhD
2012 - Kathryn Montgomery, PhD
2011 - Ruth Faden, PhD MPH
2010 - Mark Siegler, MD
2009 - Howard Brody, MD PhD
2008 - Robert M. Veatch, PhD
2007 - Renée C. Fox, PhD
2006 - Ronald E. Cranford, MD and Bernard Gert, PhD
2005 - Eric Cassell, MD MACP
2004 - Tom L. Beauchamp, PhD, James F. Childress, PhD, and Joanne Trautmann Banks, PhD
2003 - Jay Katz, MD
2002 - Ruth Macklin, PhD
2001 - Daniel Callahan, PhD
2000 - John C. Fletcher, PhD
1999 - Albert R. Jonsen, PhD
1998 - Edmund D. Pellegrino, MD

 

Distinguished Service Award

The ASBH Distinguished Service Award may be given to a current and longstanding member of ASBH who has demonstrated exemplary leadership in advancing the goals of the Society.

In making this award, the committee will consider such contributions to ASBH as consistent volunteer activity; extraordinary service on the board of directors, committee, or task force; advancement of a significant publication or program or other creative work; mentorship of other leaders; or other service that had a lasting impact.

Recipients

2022 - Claretta Y. Dupree, PhD MSN RN
2021 - Felicia Cohn, PhD HEC-C
2020 - None
2019 - None
2018 - None
2017 - None
2016 - Joseph Fins, MD MACP, Eric Kodish, MD, and Robert Pearlman, MD MPH
2015 - None
2014 - Alexander Kon, MD
2013 - Therese Jones, PhD
2012 - Doris Goldstein, MLS MA
2011 - Anita J. Tarzian, PhD RN
2010 - Stephen Latham, JD PhD
2009 - Mark Aulisio, PhD, Bob Pearlman, MD MH, and Sue Rubin, PhD
2008 - Arthur R. Derse, MD JD
2007 - Alex John London, PhD and Laurie S. Zoloth, PhD
2006 - Mark H. Waymack, PhD
2005 - Chester R. Burns, MD PhD
2004 - Thomas H. Murray, PhD
2003 - Mark G. Kuczewski, PhD and Hilde Lindemann Nelson, PhD
2002 - Betty Wolder Levin, PhD and Leslie S. Rothenberg
2001 - David Barnard, PhD, Marian Gray Secundy, PhD, and Tom Tomlinson, PhD
2000 - Robert M. Arnold, MD, Steven H. Miles, MD, and Stuart J. Youngner, MD
1999 - Loretta M. Kopelman, PhD

 

 

Cornerstone Award

The ASBH Cornerstone Award is the Society's highest honor given to an institution. The Cornerstone Award recognizes outstanding, enduring contribution(s) by an institution that has deeply enriched and/or helped shape the direction of the fields of bioethics and/or the health humanities.

"Institution" is defined broadly and may include entities such as program, center, journal, or other publication, task force, blog, listserv, forum, long-running conference or course, or a single event or meeting that have made significant, wide-reaching contributions with lasting impact on the fields of bioethics and/or the health humanities.

Criteria for selection include but are not limited to: (1) influential and significant contributions to scholarship; (2) efforts or work that have greatly enhanced or furthered the fields of bioethics and/or the health humanities; (3) significant service to the public; and/or (4) national or international appreciation and recognition.

Nominations may be submitted by an individual or institution. Self-nominations will be considered and should include supporting documentation such as letters of support, awards, or other recognition of the institution's contributions from external sources. The Cornerstone Award is awarded at the discretion of the ASBH Board of Directors and may not be awarded annually. In addition, a presentation will be made to a representation of the Cornerstone Award winner at the discretion of the Awards Committee and the Board. 

Recipients

2022 - Center for Bioethics and Social Sciences in Medicine at the University of Michigan Medical School
2021 - The American Journal of Bioethics
2020 - None
2019 - Veterans Health Administration (VHA) National Center for Ethics in Health Care
2018 - None
2017 - The ANA Center for Ethics and Human Rights, The Center for Literature and Medicine
2016 - None
2015 - None
2014 - None
2013 - The MacLean Center for Clinical Medical Ethics 
2012 - Institute for the Medical Humanities at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston
2011 - None
2010 - Kennedy Institute of Ethics
2009 - The Hastings Center

 

Student Paper Award

The ASBH Student Paper Award recognizes up to three papers for writing clarity and quality, development of the argument, integration of the literature, and novelty/insight of the contribution.

Undergraduates, students enrolled in a Master's degree program who do not hold an advanced degree (MD, PhD, JD, or equivalent) and students who are actively pursuing, but have not yet achieved, an advanced degree (MD, PhD, JD, or equivalent) may submit papers of no more than 3,500 words (not including footnotes and appendices) in length for consideration for the prestigious ASBH Student Paper Award. All papers are assessed anonymously for writing clarity and quality, development of the argument, integration of the literature, and novelty or insight of the contribution. Papers must be written by a single student author, and the selection of topics is open. Previous winners are not eligible for consideration.

Please review the submission criteria and submit your anonymized paper (no identifying information please!) as a PDF to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. by 11:59 PM CT on Monday, July 3, 2023.

 

Recipients

2022 - William Choi, Andrea Thornton, Honorable Mention: Julie Gunby
2021 - Leah Pierson, Runner-Up: Derek Soled
2020 - Sneha Anmalsetty
2019 - Debra Gorman-Badar
2018 - Hailey Cleek, Michael DiStefano, Aubrey Incorvaia
2017 - Jessica Benham
2016 - Joel Michael Reynolds
2015 - Michelle Nguyen
2014 - Laura Guidry-Grimes
2013 - David Klein
2012 - Alyssa Henning
2011 - Laura Bothwell
2010 - Bryan Kibbe
2009 - Kelly Heuer
2008 - Anne Lincoln
2007 - Mike Collins
2006 - Michelle D. Roth-Cline
2003 - Winston Chiong
2002 - Beth Linker
2001 - Ryan B. Spellacy
2000 - Andrea Scarantino