Dr. Daniel McFee, associate professor of Religious Studies, encourages students to explore the field of ethics while studying at Mercyhurst College.

“There’s no field that doesn’t require ethics,” McFee said. “In every profession, people will make ethical decisions.”

McFee teaches upper-level core courses in ethics and religion. In his classes, McFee uses real-life examples and humor, and he combines lecture and student feedback. He especially enjoys teaching Ethics, in which he includes a wide range of topics and approaches. “There’s always something to capture the imagination,” he said.

According to McFee, the field of ethics has experienced enormous progress in last 50 years, including the civil rights movement, institution of hospital review boards and the UN Declaration of Human Rights. These events have affected ethics on local and global levels.

Further, as technology continues to advance, the field of ethics will face unprecedented challenges in the next 50 years. McFee advises Mercyhurst students to stay in touch with the news so they can make informed moral decisions about current and future events.

In addition to teaching, McFee serves as co-director of Evelyn Lincoln Institute for Ethics and Society, which he co-founded three years ago with Dr. Kevin Sullivan. The institute offers the community a chance to engage with issues by bringing in speakers on ethical subjects such as human enhancement.

McFee has also led three study-abroad trips at Mercyhurst. He encourages students to study abroad or travel as much as possible.

“It gives students a much better idea of moral and ethical issues they will be facing,” he said.

McFee double-majored in philosophy and science at Bowling Green State University, Ohio. He also studied religion and ethics at Duke University and Marquette University. He also spent a year at the University of Durham in England, where he acquired his taste of study abroad.

In his spare time, McFee enjoys hiking, mountain biking, refinishing furniture and of course playing with his children.