The Rock Ethics Institute, a branch of the College of the Liberal Arts, appointed Ted Toadvine as its new director earlier this month. Toadvine, who will come to Penn State from the University of Oregon, will take over the new role in the beginning of 2017 from founding director Nancy Tuana.

Toadvine specializes in contemporary continental philosophy and he spent 13 years at the Oregon serving as the head of the school’s department of psychology. Before that Toadvine was a professor at Emporia State University and also taught classes at Oberlin College. Toadvine has, as many philosophy professors do, both authored and edited a number of books and papers and serves as the director of “Series in Continental Thought,” and is the editor-in-chief of Environmental Philosophy. 

“We are delighted to welcome Ted as the next leader of the Rock Ethics Institute,” dean of the College of the Liberal Arts Susan Welch told Penn State News. “He is an excellent scholar who also brings a great deal of experience as an administrator to this position. Given his credentials, I have no doubt that he will build upon the strong foundation molded by founding director Nancy Tuana and help lift ‘The Rock’ to even greater heights.”

The Rock Ethics Institute has been most visible in its Stand Up PSU initiative, which encourages students to speak up for what they believe and know is right in the face of social pressure. The campaign is also pasted on CATA buses and posters around campus with the faces of the 2015 winners. The Institute was founded in 2001 thanks to a gift from Doug and Julie Rock and works to promote ethical leadership literacy at Penn State and all over the world.