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The Grefenstette Center is proud to announce a new AI & Digital Ethics Micro-credential! This three-course micro-credential program is open to all undergraduate, graduate, and continuing education students. The micro-credential is comprised of two required courses - offered each semester by the Grefenstette Center - and a selection of electives that count for the third. This program can be completed fully asynchronously online, allowing people from all walks of life to gain a credential that can be applied in professional and educational contexts.

Read about the eligible courses below and request more information about the AI & Digital Ethics Micro-credential.

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Artificial Intelligence Ethics (GREF 210/510) What does it mean to think ethically about technology, and especially about AI? What is the relationship between humans and technology, and what should it be? This course, hosted by Duquesne’s Carl G. Grefenstette Center for Ethics in Science, Technology, and Law, will examine a wide variety of topics in artificial intelligence, including algorithmic bias, machine learning, and transhumanism. The course will empower students to thoroughly appraise the ethical concerns in science and technology through a Catholic lens. Offered Fall and Spring.

Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare (GREF 230/530) How is AI transforming healthcare? What will AI mean for doctors, nurses, hospitals, and the healthcare industry in general?  What implications will this have for ethics, policy, and management decisions? This course explores the impact of AI in healthcare by examining current and future transformations of healthcare through emerging AI technologies. Aimed at assisting students looking to enter the healthcare industry, the course will examine the employment of AI in making medical decisions, the ethical implications of current and future AI usage, the proper management of AI in healthcare organizations, the effects of AI in the delivery of healthcare services, and the future of AI adoption in the healthcare industry. Offered in Spring.

AI, Society, and Power (GREF 250/550) How do we approach a world filled with technology? Every power structure in society relies upon technological innovation, a fact made even more true since the advent of generative artificial intelligence like ChatGPT. But what is the true role of technology, and what is the social value of artificial intelligence? How has tech transformed our lives, and how will it change society in the future? This course, hosted by Duquesne’s Carl G. Grefenstette Center for Ethics in Science, Technology, and Law, will examine the broad scope of ethical and moral impacts of technology in the modern world. This will include historical intersections of technology and social construction, as well as modern discussions of AI and its impact on climate, warfare, government, corporation, and wealth. This is a fully-online, asynchronous course, and is meant to partner with GREF 210 (AI Ethics), and counts towards the “AI & Digital Ethics” Microcredential. This course fulfills the Social and Historical Reasoning Bridges Competency. 

Hacking4Humanity (H4H) is a tech and policy hackathon that offers students a new way to engage with real-world social problems that can be improved with novel technical and policy solutions. Any undergraduate and graduate students currently enrolled at a college or university in the Pittsburgh region can participate! Students compete in teams of 1-4 people in either the Tech track or the Policy track - multiple cash prizes will be awarded in both tracks!

H4H 2026 will be held February 6 - February 20, 2026. The hackathon will begin with a Zoom Kickoff on February 6, and final Tech and Policy presentations will be held in person at Duquesne University on February 20.

Additionally, H4H 2026 finalists will have the unique opportunity to participate in a mini-hackathon competition at the PA Governor’s Residence in Harrisburg in the spring of 2026! Top H4H  finishers will travel to the state capital to present their policy and tech proposals to a panel of expert judges, including First Lady Lori Shapiro and other members of the Governor’s administration. 

View the complete details of H4H 2026 and register now!

All undergraduate and graduate students are invited to submit posters to present at the annual Tech Ethics Symposium each fall.  Research poster topics may relate to any aspect of technology ethics. All accepted posters receive a $75 award to offset printing costs. On top of this award, accepted posters compete for the following prizes:

Undergraduate Students:

Outstanding Researcher Award ($400) for the poster that exemplifies the best of undergraduate research and its applications for technology ethics

Ethical PA Award ($400) for the poster that best addresses ethical technology questions and concerns of people around Pittsburgh or throughout Pennsylvania

Pope Francis Award ($400) for the poster that best exemplifies the Catholic ethic of service, encounter, and love, as encompassed in Pope Francis’ approach to technology  

Graduate Students:

Grand Prize ($400)

Runner-Up ($200) 

Additionally, all posters are eligible for $100 "Audience Choice" awards, for which Symposium attendees cast their vote during the event.

Submissions for the 2025 Student Research Poster Competition are closed. See the full list of the 2025 Award Winners  and view their posters on the Symposium webpage, and stay connected to receive announcements about next year's competition!

Interested in the ethics and responsible use of technology? Want to gain real-world experience outside of a classroom setting? The Carl G. Grefenstette Center for Ethics in Science, Technology, and Law is proud to offer an undergraduate scholarship program for four Duquesne University students each academic year! 

Undergraduate Student Fellows work closely with Center staff and affiliated faculty to build their research interests, present a poster at the fall Tech Ethics Symposium, participate in the spring hackathon, and engage in monthly conversations on tech ethics throughout the year! No previous experience with tech or tech ethics necessary. Students from ALL disciplines are welcome!

Applications for the 2025-2026 Undergraduate Student Fellowship are closed. Details of the 2026-2027 program will be posted in Spring 2026.

The Carl G. Grefenstette Center for Ethics in Science, Technology, and Law at Duquesne University invites scholars and researchers in the United States to apply for the Grefenstette National Research Scholars program for Academic Year 2025-2026. The National Research Scholars program is a small community of scholars from all backgrounds and traditions who come together monthly and discuss their research on the intersections of technology, society, and faith, broadly construed.

We seek seven scholars from all research areas to contribute to the conversation around the responsible use of digital technology and its intersection with religious and/or theological studies. Scholars may come from the academy or from industry (including tech and religious ministry), as long as the individual has a research interest and a plan to develop their research. PhD or terminal degree in one’s field is preferred but not required. Areas of study include but are not limited to critical AI/critical technology studies, responsible AI studies, ethics, religious studies, sociology of religion, intersectional approaches to technology and society, and theology.

The goal of the program is to cultivate a research cohort, to provide peer support, and to generate new and innovative research paths in the intersection of technology and religious studies, especially given the recent development of generative AI. All Scholars will receive a stipend of $2000 for the year, participate in monthly discussions, and be part of a year-end virtual public roundtable.

Applications for the 2025-2026 National Research Scholars are closed. Details of the 2026-2027 program will be posted in Spring 2026.