Bridgewater College students to debate ethics, AI at statewide event Friday

Five Bridgewater College students will compete in the Virginia Foundation for Independent Colleges’ (VFIC) 25th annual statewide collegiate Applied Ethics Bowl on Feb. 7.

Presented by TowneBank, the event will be held on the University of Richmond campus.

The Bridgewater College team will compete head-to-head against other highly qualified student teams from Virginia’s leading independent colleges and universities, deliberating a variety of case studies relating to the Applied Ethics Bowl event theme “Ethics and Artificial Intelligence.” The members of the Bridgewater College student team are: Elizabeth D’Aurora ’26 from Leonardtown, Md.; Jadon Goldsmith ’25 from Oklahoma City; Avery Gray ’25 from North Chesterfield; Samantha Herbst ’25 from Berkeley Springs, W.Va.; and Ethan Thee ’28 from Broadway. The faculty coordinator for the team is Dr. Steve Ingham, Instructor of Communication Studies.

Many notable individuals from a variety of career fields including business, cybersecurity, education, engineering, law, finance and others will listen to team presentations and offer reactions to the students’ presentations. On the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the Applied Ethics Bowl, the VFIC will honor past VFIC Board Chairs who served since 2000, the inception of the event.

The 2025 VFIC Applied Ethics Bowl will begin with an opening session at 10:30 a.m. in University of Richmond’s Ukrop Auditorium, with the first round scheduled for 11 a.m. in various rooms in the Robins School of Business. Rounds two through four begin at 2 p.m. and conclude at 4:45 p.m. Participants and guests will meet at the Jepson Alumni Center Ukrop Gallery at 5:00 p.m. for a reception followed by the championship round of competition which will take place at 6 p.m. in the Robins Pavilion also in the Jepson Alumni Center.

The public is invited to attend and view the rounds free of charge. The winning team will be announced at 6:30 p.m. on Friday. Hollins University took home the Batten Trophy at the last Applied Ethics Bowl in 2024, and the runner up was the University of Lynchburg.

Established in 1952, the Virginia Foundation for Independent Colleges (VFIC) aims to advance the distinctive values and strengths of the seventeen colleges across Virginia that make up our consortium. Independent colleges and universities provide an excellent education for students in highly personalized environments. The foundation’s goal is to make it possible for all academically qualified students, many of whom are first-generation college students, to attend VFIC schools, regardless of their financial situation. More than $179 million in support has been provided to VFIC schools and students since our inception.

The Virginia Foundation for Independent Colleges supports the programs and students of the following seventeen leading independent colleges in the Commonwealth: Bridgewater College, Emory & Henry University, Hampden-Sydney College, Hampton University, Hollins University, Mary Baldwin University, Marymount University, Randolph College, Randolph-Macon College, Roanoke College, Shenandoah University, Sweet Briar College, University of Lynchburg, University of Richmond, Virginia Union University, Virginia Union University, Virginia Wesleyan University, and Washington and Lee University.

Founded in 1880, Bridgewater College is a private, four-year liberal arts college located in the Central Shenandoah Valley. Bridgewater College is home to approximately 1,450 students pursuing degrees in more than 60 undergraduate majors and minors, and four graduate programs housed within three distinct schools.