Thomas
A Kerns, PhD
Thomas
A Kerns, PhD
Tom Kerns is a Philosophy professor at North Seattle Community College with interests in Biomedical Ethics, Philosophy of Religion, and the history of philosophical thought. His undergraduate degree is from the Great Books program at the University of Notre Dame and graduate degrees (MA and PhD) are from Marquette University. He is also currently enrolled in a Masters in Public Health (MPH) Program at the University of Washington.
With colleagues Jim Harnish and Rita Smilkstein he helped pioneer the concept of integrated studies programs at NSCC, including the interdisciplinary, team-taught Coordinated Studies Programs that are now offered every quarter. These unique ten- to fifteen-credit programs involve several faculty working together with students to explore original texts in a seminar-based, student-centered community of learners.
He has published three books on
issues in biomedical and public health ethics:
- Ethical Issues in HIV Vaccine Trials (1997, St Martin's Press, Macmillan, Limited in the UK).
- Jenner on Trial: The Ethics of Vaccine Research in the Age of Smallpox and the Age of AIDS (1997, University Press of America).
- Environmentally Induced Illnesses: Ethics, Risk Assessment
and Human Rights ,
(2001, McFarland)
- (He thinks the fourth book should probably be a best seller about something suggestive and risqué if any money is ever to be made by writing.)
Recent invitational lectures include a lecture on the ethics of HIV vaccine research at the World Health Organization's Global Programme on AIDS in Geneva (now UNAIDS), a lecture on emerging environmental epidemics at Smith College, and a dress-up portrayal of Edward Jenner discussing his smalllpox vaccine experiment, done for the Ethics Review Committee at Madigan Army Medical Center.
His most recent sabbatical was devoted to two projects:
- Research and writing about ethical issues and human rights in relation to toxicant induced illnesses, such as chemical sensitivity disorders, asthma, reproductive disorders, and cancers, etc. This resulted in the completion of book number three.
- Creating an online Introduction to Philosophy course for the Washington State Online Consortium.
- Click here for a Curriculum Vitae.
- Click here for a list of public lectures Dr Kerns currently offers.
He is also a semi-professional stone sculptor (in alabaster, marble and soapstone), a fly fisherman, a ham radio operator, an ex commercial salmon gilnet fisherman, and gets out every day for a short daily run. He has three grown children (one is a nurse, one a social worker, and one is a trapper who lives with his wife and two daughters out in the Alaskan Bush).
