Andrew Stumpf

I am a generalist, which means I am interested in everything. Since you can’t practically study everything, I focus on Philosophy and Theology, both of which are about everything in different ways, and more specifically on ethical theory and its application in the domains of health care, end-of-life care and business. My earlier graduate work in Philosophy (M.A., Ph.D.) gravitated toward the metaphysical underpinnings of ethics: I was trying to understand what it means to be a human person, since what is good for human persons surely depends on what human persons are. My second round of graduate work (M.T.S., Th.D.) focused on the Christological and Pneumatological foundations moral theology and culminated in a dissertation on the role of the Holy Spirit in generating love in human beings.

Over the decade after I completed my Ph.D. in Philosophy (2008 – 2018) I taught a broad range of subjects at the graduate and undergraduate level, primarily at the University of Waterloo and St. Jerome’s University (SJU): History of Philosophy (Ancient, Medieval, Early Modern), Ethical Theory, Moral Theology, Critical Thinking, Metaphysics, Philosophy of Religion, Philosophy and Culture. Teaching and studying, combined with volunteer work in my church community and raising four children together with my wife Jennifer, made this an exceedingly busy time! Still, in those years I managed to publish an article on Leibniz’s metaphysics, to author a first book on Ancient Philosophy and to co-author a second book on Business Ethics.

In 2018 I began the first of six years of definite-term appointments as Assistant Professor of Philosophy at SJU and began to focus intensively on end-of-life care, developing four new courses: PHIL 319J Ethics of End-of-Life Care, PHIL 321J Philosophy of Palliative Care, CT 612: Recovering the Art of Dying and MEDVL 305 Medieval Death and Dying. During this period I served as the Principal Investigator for six grant-funded research projects including a SSHRC Insight Development Grant and a SSHRC Insight Grant, leading to the publication of several articles and the creation of a web portal (thekernelnetwork.com) to help mobilize knowledge and build connections in end-of-life care. Also during these years I served as acting director of the Human Sciences and of the Master of Catholic Thought programs, as the President of the St. Jerome’s Academic Staff Association, and as a member of the working group that created the new Health Humanities diploma program, which I have served as acting director since 2022.

In September 2024 I began my cross appointment in the departments of Philosophy, Religious Studies, and Health Humanities, as Lecturer, with continuing status. I look forward to what the future will bring and in particular to ongoing collaboration with other scholars, students and healthcare professionals to find innovative ethical solutions to the social crisis of an aging population in Canada.

Books

Jordan, J., Stumpf, A., Wass, C., Correia, V., McChesney, D., Sewell, J., Weaver, S., Andres, G. (ed). With a Clear Conscience: Business Ethics, Decision-Making and Strategic Thinking. Oxford University Press, 2020.

Stumpf, A. Ancient Philosophy: A Companion to the Core Readings. Broadview Press, Dec 2018.

Articles

Stumpf, Andrew. "Agreeing on the Worth of a Life: MAiD and the Logic of Sanctity", Critical Theology 5(4): 2-8. August 2023.

Stumpf, Andrew. "As eligibility for MAID expands, the ethical implications of broad access to medically assisted death need a long, hard look," The Conversation Canada. January, 2023.

Stumpf, A., McKenzie, E., & Nguyen, V. "Learning from Elders about Autonomy, Meaningfulness, and Relationships," Religions 13 (8): 750. 2022.

Stumpf, A., Rogalski, D. “Getting Real about Killing and Allowing to Die: A Critical Discussion of the Literature,” Canadian Journal of Bioethics 4(2): 8-24. 2021.

Stumpf, A. "Harmonizing Leibniz’s Ontology", Dialogue 51(3): 467-483. September, 2012.

HHUM 101: Foundations of Health Humanities

PHIL 215/ARBUS 202: Professional and Business Ethics

PHIL 226: Biomedical Ethics

PHIL 319J: Ethics of End-of-Life Care

PHIL 321J: Philosophy of Palliative Care

CT 612: Recovering the Art of Dying

Grants

SJU Faculty Research Grant: “Expanding Capacity for End-of-Life Research: Next Steps,” Sole Applicant. Awarded June 2023 ($4,700)

Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada, Insight Grant: “Integrating Conceptual Analysis and Observational Studies to Improve End-of-Life Care in Canada,” Principal Applicant. Awarded April 2022 ($177,733)

SJU Faculty Research Grant: “Autonomy, Dependence and Dementia: Three Literature Reviews to Help Prepare a SSHRC-Funded Research Project,” Sole Applicant. Awarded June 2021 ($8,000)

Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada, Insight Development Grant: “Clinicians’ Moral Experience and Moral Distinctions in Bioethics,” Principal Applicant. Awarded July 2019 ($35,982).

SJU Faculty Research Grant: “Understanding Contemporary Applied Ethics Methods and Pedagogy: Three Literature Reviews,” Sole Applicant. Awarded June 2019 ($7,688).

Waterloo Experiential Learning Institute Grant: “Student Involvement in Hospice Waterloo Region Community Engagement Projects,” Sole Applicant. Awarded April 2019 ($5,500).

Awards

Letson Teaching Award, St. Jerome’s University (2018)

Dr. Sam and Dr. Dorris Lau Scholarship, St. Michael’s College (2013-2018)

Valedictorian, Conrad Grebel University College (2012)

James Reimer Scholarship, Conrad Grebel University College (2010-2011)

Faculty of Arts Graduate Merit Award, University of Waterloo (2008)

Ontario Graduate Scholarship (OGS) (2007-2008)

SSHRC Canada Graduate Scholarship (CGS) – Doctoral (2004-2007)

Administrative

St. Jerome's University

Acting Director, Health Humanities (2022-present)

Past-President, Academic Staff Association (2023-2024)

President, Academic Staff Association (2022-2023)

Member, Dean’s Academic Planning Working Group (2022-2023)

Member, Health Humanities Working Group (2021-2023)

Acting Director, Human Sciences (2020-2021)

Acting Director, Master of Catholic Thought (2019-2021)

Member, Committee on Research and Scholarship (2019-2020)

Member, Master of Catholic Thought Committee (2019-present)

Member, Bargaining Team, Academic Staff Association (2017-2018)

CAS Liaison, Academic Staff Association (2014-2015)

Values Working Group (2013-2014)

Professional

Reviewer, Journal of Medical Humanities (2023-present)

Board Member, Life-Long Learning Resources Co-operative of Waterloo (2018-2023)

Trustee, CAUT Defense Fund, St. Jerome’s University Representative (2018-2019)

Reviewer, Canadian Journal of Bioethics (2020-2023)

Commentator, Canadian Philosophical Association, Philosophy of Religion Division (2012)

Referee, Canadian Philosophical Association, Metaphysics Division (2011, 2009)

Referee, Canadian Philosophical Association, History of Philosophy Division (2010)

Commentator, Western Canadian Philosophical Association, Epistemology (2009)

Treasurer, Philosophy Graduate Students Association (GSA), University of Waterloo (2006-2007)

Board Member, Editor, Eidos: Canadian Graduate Journal of Philosophy (2003-2006)

Conference Organizer, Philosophy Graduate Students Conference, Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics, Waterloo, Ontario (2005)