The Institute associated with this website is now defunct. No workshops are planned. For more information, read the explanation on the Home page. 

The Felician Workshop Series in Philosophy and Public Affairs takes place periodically across both semesters at Felician. The series features both intense, focused discussions on academic-style philosophy, as well as presentations by practitioners and others on public affairs. Presentations on any philosophical topic are invited; topics need not be confined to ethics or normative theory. Workshops usually (but not invariably) take place during the University official “meeting hour” (M, W, or F, 1-2:15 pm).

2020
April 23 (Tuesday, 11:30 am-1 pm, via Zoom)
Suleman Khawaja, MD (Valley Health System, Ridgewood, NJ), “COVID-19 from the Frontlines,” with discussants George Abaunza, Alison Bowles, Shikha Dalmia, Ray Raad, and Michael Young.

(THIS EVENT IS CANCELED.)
March 30 (Monday, 1-2:15 pm, Second Floor Lecture Hall, Obal Hall, Lodi campus, 262 S. Main St., Lodi, NJ 07644)
Panel Discussion: “Issues in Local Government”
Vincent Caruso, Municipal Manager, Borough of Lodi, New Jersey
Byron Clark, Newark Convention and Visitors Bureau, Newark, New Jersey
Sadaf Jaffer, Mayor, Montgomery Township, Montgomery, New Jersey.
Judith Joan Sullivan, Board Member, Ramapo Indian Hills Regional High School District, and Chair and Founder, Ramapough Conservancy, Oakland, New Jersey.

2019
November 26 (Tuesday, 4-6:30 pm, 309 Obal)
Carlos Manalansan, Esq. “Careers in Law, Insurance, and Health Care: Working for Emblem Health,” Vice President and Deputy General Counsel, EmblemHealth, speaking on career issues.  (Sponsored by the Pre-Law Program.)

October 30 (Wednesday, 1-2:15 pm, Second Floor Lecture Hall, Obal Hall, Lodi campus)
Panel Discussion: “Careers in Law and Government”
Kathleen Donovan, Government Affairs Consultant, PSE&G, and Adjunct Professor of Political Science, Felician University.
Theresa Fanelli, former Special Agent, FBI, and Assistant Professor of Criminal Justice, Felician University.
Jennifer Fischer, Associate Director, Cloud Trust Services, Office of Chief Information Security Officer, KPMG, and Adjunct Professor of Philosophy, Felician University.
Judith Joan Sullivan, Chair and Founder, Sullivan Law and Government Affairs Firm, and Adjunct Professor of Philosophy and Political Science, Felician University.
(Co-sponsored by the Pre-Law Program and School of Arts & Sciences)

2018
December 6 (Thursday, 2:30-4 pm, Kirby 334)
Maria Lopez-Delgado, North Carolina Legal Aid
“The North Carolina Legal Aid Battered Immigrant Project: An Overview.”
(Sponsored by the Pre-Law Program)

November 29 (Thursday, 2:30-4 pm, Kirby 334)
Joyce Phipps, Casa de Esperanza,
“Defending the Rights of Immigrants and Refugees.”
(Co-sponsored by the Pre-Law Program and the Department of Criminal Justice)

November 27 (Tuesday, 2:30-4, Kirby 334)
J. LaForge and F. Madera, Immigrations and Customs Enforcement Newark Field Office, “Immigrations and Customs Enforcement.”
(Co-sponsored by the Pre-Law Program and the Department of Criminal Justice)

November 8 (Thursday, 1-2:15 pm, Educations Common Auditorium, Rutherford campus)
Panel discussion: “Policing from a Cop’s Point of View”
John Link, former Chief of Police, Clifton, New Jersey, and Adjunct Professor of Criminal Justice, Felician University
Louis Mignone, former detective, West Orange Police Department, and Adjunct Professor of Criminal Justice, Felician University.
John Russo, Chief of Police, Rutherford, New Jersey.
Julie Ann Zeigler, Sergeant, Rutherford Police Department.
(Co-sponsored by the Pre-Law Program and the Department of Criminal Justice)

2017
December 5 (Tuesday, 2:30-3:30, Education Commons Auditorium, Rutherford campus)
Gurbir Grewal (Bergen County Prosecutor)
“Law Enforcement in Bergen County: Problems and Prospects”
(Co-sponsored by the Pre-Law Program and the Department of Criminal Justice)

November 28 (Tuesday, 2:30-3:30, Kirby 334, Lodi campus)
Chris Napierala (Sentencing Alternatives)
“Criminal Mitigation and Defense Advocacy Services”
(Co-sponsored by the Pre-Law Program and the Department of Criminal Justice)

April 27 (Thursday, 6:30-8:30 pm, Education Commons Auditorium, Rutherford campus)
Junius Williams (Abbott Leadership Institute, Rutgers-Newark)
“Policing the Police in Newark, New Jersey” (with a viewing of PBS Documentary of that name)
(Part 4 of the “Race and Criminal Justice in America” series, sponsored by the Committee on Leadership and Social Justice, and co-sponsored by the Pre-Law Program, the Department of Criminal Justice, and the Felician UN Fellows Program)

2016
November 30 (Wednesday, 1-2 pm, Castle View Room, Rutherford campus)
Gurbir Grewal (Bergen County Prosecutor)
John Russo (Chief of Police, Rutherford, New Jersey)
“Community Policing in Rutherford”
(Part 3 of the “Race and Criminal Justice in America” series, sponsored by the Committee on Leadership and Social Justice, and co-sponsored by the Pre-Law Program, the Department of Criminal Justice, and the Felician UN Fellows Program)

November 10 (Thursday, 7-8:30 pm, Education Commons Auditorium, Rutherford campus)
John E. Link (Criminal Justice, Felician University; former Chief of Police, Clifton, New Jersey)
Maria Lopez-Delgado (New Jersey Office of the Public Defender)
“Police Stops: What Are Your Rights? What Should You Do?”
(Part 2 of the “Race and Criminal Justice in America” series, sponsored by the Committee on Leadership and Social Justice, and co-sponsored by the Pre-Law Program, the Department of Criminal Justice, and the Felician UN Fellows Program

September 27 (Tuesday, 6:30-8:30 pm, Education Commons Auditorium, Rutherford campus)
Mark Denbeaux (Seton Hall University Law School)
“Racial Profiling in Bloomfield? A Discussion”
(Part 1 of the “Race and Criminal Justice in America” series, sponsored by the Committee on Leadership and Social Justice, and co-sponsored by the Pre-Law Program, the Department of Criminal Justice, and the Felician UN Fellows Program) 

2015
May 13 (Wednesday, 10 am, 407 Kirby Hall, Lodi)
Caitlin Baard (Undergraduate Philosophy Major, Felician College)
“Nagel on BDSM and Sexual Perversion: A Critique”

Chelsea Barrett (Undergraduate Philosophy Major, Felician College)
“Is Hobbes an Egoist?”

Daniel Postel (Undergraduate Philosophy Major, Felician College)
“People and the Interconnected Planet: Middle Ground Environmental Ethics”
Sponsored by FIEPA and the Department of Philosophy.

2014
September 24 (Wednesday, 1-2:15 pm, 206 Kirby Hall, Lodi)
Gregory Sadler (Philosophy, Marist College)
“Just What Is a Platonic Virtue?”
Sponsored by FIEPA.
A video of the talk.
A brief discussion of the talk at Irfan Khawaja’s blog.
A brief discussion of the talk at Greg Sadler’s blog.

May 12 (Monday, 12:45-3 pm in 335 Kirby Hall, Lodi)
Macy Chase (Undergraduate Philosophy Major, Felician College)
“Theories of Justice: How We Justify and Implement Punishment”

Wilfredo Torres (Undergraduate Philosophy Major, Felician College)
“The Possibility of a Sartrean Ethics: Being a Being-for-Others”
Sponsored by FIEPA and the Department of Philosophy.

2013
November 15 (Friday, 1 pm, Castle Board Room, Rutherford)
Graham Parsons (Philosophy, West Point Military Academy)
“The Absurdity of Public War for Human Rights”
Sponsored by the Felician Ethics Institute.

September 18 (Wednesday, 1 pm, Castle Board Room, Rutherford)
Lisa Warenski (Philosophy, City College of New York)
“The Return of Thrasymachus”
Sponsored by the Felician Ethics Institute.

May 15 (Wednesday, 1-3:30 pm, 407 Kirby Hall, Lodi):
Anthony Bizien (Undergraduate Philosophy and History Major, Felician College)
“No Child Left Behind: A Deweyan Critique.”

Mark Carbonaro (Undergraduate Philosophy Major, Felician College)
“Cruelty, Love, and Fear: A Critique of Machiavelli’s Prince.”
Sponsored by the Felician Ethics Institute and the Department of Philosophy.

April 10 (Wednesday, 1 pm, 334 Kirby Hall, Lodi):
Raffaella De Rosa (Philosophy, Rutgers-Newark)
“The Real Challenge of Locke’s Critique of Nativism.”
Sponsored by the Department of Philosophy.

March 1 (Friday, 1 pm, 334 Kirby Hall, Lodi):
Stephen Grimm (Philosophy, Fordham)
“Understanding as Knowledge of the Cause.” Sponsored by the Department of Philosophy.

February 6 (Wednesday, 1 pm, 407 Kirby Hall, Lodi):
Maria Lopez (Undergraduate Philosophy Major, Felician College)
“The Marxian Critique of Capitalism.” Sponsored by the Department of Philosophy and Felician Ethics Institute.

2012
November 14 (Wednesday, 1 pm, 335 Kirby Hall, Lodi):
Gregory Sadler (Philosophy, Marist College)
“Anger and Akrasia in Aristotle.” Sponsored by the Felician Ethics Institute.

September 26 (Wednesday, 1 pm, 334 Kirby Hall, Lodi):
Yvonne Raley (Philosophy, Felician College)
“Do Species Exist?” Sponsored by the Department of Philosophy.

March 14 (Wednesday, 1 pm, 334 Kirby Hall, Lodi):
Tiger Roholt (Philosophy, Montclair State University)
“A Phenomenological Approach to Musical Subtlety.” Sponsored by the Department of Philosophy.

January 27 (Friday, 1 pm, 334 Kirby Hall, Lodi):
Robert Talisse (Philosophy, Vanderbilt University)
“Impunity and Republican Freedom.” Sponsored by the Felician Ethics Institute.

Iviswold Castle, on Felician’s Rutherford campus, site of the Felician Current Research Workshops

2011
December 14 (Wednesday, 1 pm, 334 Kirby Hall, Lodi):
Donald Casey (Philosophy, Felician College)
“St. Francis of Assisi as a Source of Ethical Reflection.” Sponsored by the Felician Ethics Institute.

November 11 (Friday, 1 pm, 334 Kirby Hall, Lodi):
Ishani Maitra (Philosophy, Rutgers-Newark)
“What Assertion Is.” Sponsored by the Department of Philosophy.

September 28 (Wednesday, 1 pm, 310 Obal Hall, Lodi): “9/11 + 10: Reflections.”
A Panel Discussion with members of the Felician College faculty: Joseph Biehl, “The Search for Meaning” (Philosophy); and remarks by Fr. John O’Neill (Religious Studies, Campus Ministry), and Gary Krulish (Criminal Justice). Obal Hall 310, 1 pm. Sponsored by the Felician Ethics Institute.

March 28 (Monday, 1 pm, 334 Kirby Hall, Lodi):
Irfan Khawaja (Philosophy, Felician College)
“Singer on the Afghan War: The Use and Abuse of the Last Resort Criterion.” Sponsored by the Felician Ethics Institute.
Singer on the Afghan War

February 18 (Friday, 1 pm, 334 Kirby Hall, Lodi):
Michael Menser, (Philosophy, Brooklyn College/Graduate Center CUNY)
“How Best to Solve the Global Food Crisis? Sovereignty, the Right to Food and the Role of the State.” Sponsored by the Felician Ethics Institute.

2010
November 8 
Irfan Khawaja (Philosophy, Felician College)
“And the Last Shall Be First: A Critique of the ‘Last Resort’ Criterion of Just War Theory.” Sponsored by the Felician Ethics Institute.

April 26
Joseph Biehl (Philosophy, Felician College)
“Keep the Faith, Hold the Knowledge.” Sponsored by the Dept. of Philosophy.

February 29
Donald Casey (Philosophy, Felician College)
“Jalaluddin Rumi on Faith and Reason.” Sponsored by the Department of Philosophy.

2009
November 16
Jeff Buechner (Philosophy, Rutgers-Newark)
“Critical Thinking Skills Which You Think You Have, But Really Don’t.”

October 26
Vincent Rama (Philosophy, William Paterson University)
“Lessons for Professional and Business Ethics in Plato’s Euthyphro, Apology, and Crito.”

April 29
 Irfan Khawaja (Philosophy, Felician College)
“Locke and Load: Gun Control and the Right to Self-Defense.”

March 2
 Joseph Biehl (Philosophy, Felician College)
“The Denial of Objective Normative Standards”

2008
November 10
Joyce Mullan (Philosophy, New Jersey City University)
“Women and Political Violence.”

October 14
Nita de Oliveira (Philosophy, Pontifical Catholic University, Porto Alegre, Brazil)
“Global Justice, Ethics, and Politics.”

September 29
Michael Sanford (Mathematics, Felician College)
“The Mathematics of Voting: How Do We Make Choices in a Democracy?”

April 14
Irfan Khawaja (Philosophy, Felician College)
“‘Why They Hate Us’: Judging, Explaining, and Understanding Islamist Terrorism.”

March:
Donald Casey (Philosophy, Felician College)
“The Platonism of Pope Benedict XVI”

Last revised: May 21, 2020