February 7, 2025
8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Samford University Brock School of Business, Cooney Hall, Regions Community Resource Room
Samford University's Healthcare Ethics and Law Institute's annual conference is designed to help Alabama institutional ethics committees at all levels with some of today’s most pressing health care and law issues.
Sponsored by: 
Cost
Conference registration costs $75 per person, which includes lunch and conference materials. Samford students and faculty receive free registration. Contact Scott Bickel at cbickel@samford.edu for the promotional code. A Samford ID must be shown at registration.
Advanced registration is encouraged as seating is limited.
Schedule
8:00 am
Welcome
Identifying the Problem
8:15 – 9:15 am
The Anxious Generation – summary of the work compiled by Dr. Jonathan Haidt
Speaker: Jonathan Thigpen, PharmD, Associate Professor and Assistant Dean for Curricular Innovation and Professional Development, McWhorter School of Pharmacy, Samford University. Co-sponsor of Heterodox Academy at Samford
9:05 – 9:50 am
Neurobiological Aspects: The impact of screen usage on brain development
Speaker: Daniel Marullo, PhD, Clinical Psychologist, Children’s of Alabama
9:50 – 10:00am
Break
10:00 – 10:30am
Philosophical Aspect: The theological/philosophical challenge to social media
Speaker: Dennis Sansom, PhD, Retired Professor and Chair, Department of Classics and Philosophy, Samford University.
10:30 – 10:55am
Youth Perspective: Technology in the hands of young people – is it harmful or helpful?
Panel discussion
Moderator: Amy Broeseker, RN, PharmD, PhD, Professor, McWhorter School of Pharmacy, Samford University.
11:00 – 12:30pm
Pellegrino Award and Lunch
Keynote: TBD
Awardee: Laura DeNardis, PhD, Inaugural Director, Center for Digital Ethics; Inaugural Chair in Technology, Ethics, and Society; Professor, Communication, Culture and Technology, Georgetown University.
Potential Solutions and Implications on Health
12:30 – 1:15pm
Legal aspects – Discuss 1st amendment, new action by congress
Speaker: Greg Laughlin, JD – Associate Professor of Law and Law Library Director. Cumberland School of Law, Samford University.
1:15 – 2:00pm
Medication Aspects: An overview of trends in the prescription of anti-anxiety/depression medications in youth – potential side effects?
Speaker: Kim Benner, PharmD and Mary Worthington, PharmD, Professors at McWhorter School of Pharmacy, Samford University.
2:00 – 2:15pm
Break
2:15 – 3:00pm
School administrators: Practical advice for parents health care workers when serving families
Speaker: Anna Gaston, LICSW, Student Assistance Counselor for Vestavia Hills City Schools.
3:00 -3:25pm
Panel Discussion: Where do we go from here?
All available speakers
3:25 – 3:30pm
Wrap-Up and Evaluation
* The topic titles are subject to change
