O. Carter Snead

O. Carter Snead is the Charles E. Rice Professor of Law and concurrent Professor of Political Science at the University of Notre Dame. He serves as the former Director of the de Nicola Center for Ethics and Culture, which he expanded into a leading interdisciplinary institution. His research focuses on public bioethics, governance of science/medicine, neuroethics, and constitutional law. Snead holds a J.D. from Georgetown University (magna cum laude) and a B.A. from St. John’s College.

He authored What It Means to be Human: The Case for the Body in Public Bioethics, honored by the Wall Street Journal and New York Times. His work appears in top journals like the Harvard Law Review and New York University Law Review. Snead advised U.S. government delegations at UNESCO, led international bioethics initiatives, and testified before U.S. Congress and Texas legislature on abortion and bioethical policy.

His leadership at the de Nicola Center included launching the Sorin Fellows program, securing $80M in endowments, and advancing Notre Dame’s Catholic mission through faculty hiring and fellowships. Snead’s scholarly awards include the 2021 Expanded Reason Award and membership in the Pontifical Academy for Life. His advocacy spans legal, medical, and ethical domains, emphasizing human dignity and the protection of vulnerable populations.