Big news happens at Emory even when EAAvesdropping is on Thanksgiving break.

On Tuesday, November 25, the White House announced that President Barack Obama appointed Emory President Jim Wagner as vice chair of the Presidential Commission for the Study of Bioethical Issues.

Click here to read the official release.

In this position, Wagner and other members of the commission will advise the president on bioethical issues that may emerge from advances in biomedicine and related areas of science and technology.

Wagner has championed the role of ethics in Emory's mission by significantly enhancing the prominence of the Emory Center for Ethics and including ethical engagement as a pillar of the University's strategic vision. Emory also offers a master's program in bioethics.

-- Eric Rangus, director of communications, EAA