Grefenstette Student Fellows Program
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!
Scholarship recipients work closely with center staff to build their research interests, present a poster, enter the 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 2024-2025 academic year are now open! Deadline is June 14!
Hacking4Humanity
Hacking4Humanity is a tech and policy hackathon for undergraduate and graduate students, which 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 in the Pittsburgh region can participate! Students can compete in teams of 1-4 people can compete in either the tech track or the policy track, with multiple cash prizes available in both tracks! Prizes will be announced closer to the event.
See details from this year's competition!
Tech Ethics Poster Contest
Each Fall, Duquesne University hosts a national conference on one aspect of technology
ethics. All undergraduate and graduate students are invited to submit posters on any
aspect of responsible AI or technology ethics! All accepted posters will have their
posters printed for free, and the best posters in each category (undergrad and grad)
will receive cash prizes, as well as extra prizes for crowd favorites!
The 2024 competition, "AI in the Community," will open in August. Posters will be due October 3. See previous winners!
2024-25 Courses
Artificial Intelligence Ethics (GREF 210) 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) 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.