Vanguard

Issue date: 10/8/07 Section: News

University of South Alabama senior Maria Eugenia Balzaretti achieved the honor of publication in The Ivy Journal of Ethics with her paper titled "The Ethics of Wrongful Birth Lawsuits" this fall 2007. The Bioethics Society of Cornell University publishes the online journal once a semester and specifically prints undergraduate students' work.
Balzaretti, a senior in the Department of Biomedical Sciences at USA, previously obtained a bachelor's degree at Duke University in biological anthropology and anatomy and in Spanish, with a minor biology. While she submitted multiple papers to The Ivy Journal of Ethics, Balzaretti knew the paper on birth lawsuits would be the strongest candidate for publication.
"I submitted several papers to The Ivy Journal of Ethics, but I knew that if the Bioethics Society of Cornell was to pick one of my papers, it would be 'The Ethics of Wrongful Birth Lawsuits' due to its controversial topic," Balzaretti said.
Initially, Balzaretti wrote her paper for Dr. Julio Turren's, professor and associate dean of the College of Allied Health Professions, BMD 493 class, issues in biomedical sciences, at USA. The paper focuses on the threatened rights of the disabled and "the thin line between screening [the fetus] for diseases and selecting it for non-medical traits" according to Balzaretti's abstract. Balzaretti's main purpose is to turn society's focus towards, finding possible treatments for the disabled during early screenings and "to resolve the ethical issues surrounding wrongful birth lawsuits by protecting the sanctity of life through laws and regulations."
Balzaretti believes her educational background and classes gave her the tools needed to write her paper.
"I could not have written this paper prior to taking this class, since the paper was a culmination of the knowledge acquired during the semester, as well as my own research into the specific topic," Balzaretti said. "I believe science classes with a writing component, such as Dr. Turren's BMD 493 or Dr. Cindy Stanfield's [associate professor at the College of Allied Health Professions] BMD 430, are crucial for the development of analytic and research skills."
Balzaretti also accounts her success to her professors at both USA and Duke University.
"These professors have played a significant role in my scientific education and have served as great examples for me with their own published works," Balzaretti said.
While this is Balzaretti's first publishing in the sciences, the biomedical sciences senior has enjoyed writing all her life and even published some poetry and prose online.
"It felt wonderful to have my submission accepted, and I am grateful to Cornell University for this tremendous opportunity," Balzaretti said. "I hope that my accomplishment can inspire other students to pursue writing in their respective fields and can encourage the propagation of educational journals like The Ivy Journal of Ethics."
The Ivy Journal of Ethics encourages students to submit final papers previously written in science classes. Submissions should be e-mailed to ethics@cornell.edu.

Page 1 of 1

Article Tools