Eli B. Shupe

Eli B. Shupe is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Philosophy and Humanities at the University of Texas at Arlington, part of the College of Liberal Arts. He is Co-Director of the Medical Humanities and Bioethics Program and founder of the 'Make Philosophy' open pedagogy initiative. His work bridges philosophy, medical ethics, and public engagement.

• PhD, Philosophy – Rutgers University, 2020
• MA, Philosophy – Carleton University, 2014
• BA, English Literature and Philosophy – University of Toronto, 2012

Dr. Shupe's research focuses on medical ethics, particularly the ethics of organ donation, transplantation, and the use of unclaimed bodies in medical education. He also explores animal cognition and philosophical psychology. His work is deeply interdisciplinary, connecting philosophy with public health, law, and clinical practice.

His recent publications span bioethics, animal cognition, and philosophical psychology, appearing in journals such as Journal of Medical Ethics, JAMA, and Animal Cognition. These works reflect a strong trend toward ethical issues in death, consent, and medical education, as well as cognitive continuity between humans and nonhuman animals.

Dr. Shupe is actively involved in grant-funded research, including projects supported by the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH/NLM). He advises numerous undergraduate students in honors theses and research projects, particularly in bioethics. He also serves on multiple university and hospital ethics committees, including at Cook Children’s Medical Center and Texas Health Arlington Memorial Hospital.

He leads the 'Make Philosophy' project, which creates free, interactive 3D philosophical teaching tools, such as digitized versions of the Experience Machine and Thomson's Violinist thought experiment. This initiative exemplifies his commitment to innovative, open-access philosophy education.