In 1964, a young pediatrician begins his residency at Willowbrook State School, only to discover that the institution is conducting Army-funded experiments on developmentally disabled children. Willowbrook is a short student film based on true events surrounding the school in Staten Island, New York. It explores the controversial and ethically ambiguous research experiments that took place under Dr. Saul Krugman in the 1960s.

Using historical research, the film explores themes of conscience and ethics in addition to personal drive, ego and ambition within the world of scientific study.

CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE TRAILER

This film was supported by a small Levan Grant awarded to undergraduate student and Willowbrook director Ross Cohen. Levan Campus Grants are available to students, faculty and staff who need funds for activities or projects that coincide with the Levan Institute's mission.

CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE

The Ethics Essay Contest aims to recognize the best-written works on ethics by USC undergraduates aross the curriculum. Papers may consist of a discussion of a current ethical issue or a critical case analysis of recent ethics violations in a professional field (engineering, business, health scienes, law, politics, etc.). The contest will award a cash prize to an overall winner, as well as winners in the following categories: Organizational Ethics, Ethics Across Borders, Professional Ethics and Social Justice.

Overall Winner:

"Ensuring Ethical Conduct in Clinical Trials," by Yagnaseni Dasgupta (Senior, Psychology and Economics)

Organizational Ethics:

"Business Ethics: Shutting the Door," by Jessica Geraldine Garcia (Junior, Social Sciences-Economics)

Social Justice:

"Two Battles, One Sword: Dissecting the Stagnant State of Education and Prison Reform," by Makiah Green (Junior, English-Creative Writing; Minor, Social Entrepreneurship)

Professional Ethics:

"Is Animal Testing Ethical?," by Daniel Weisel (Junior, Biological Sciences)

Ethics Across Borders:

"The Benevolence of Aggression: A Defense of American Interventionism," by John Stockton (Senior, Philosophy)

See the full conversation here.

Moderated by:

• Lyn Boyd-Judson, Director, Levan Institute for Humanities and Ethics, USC Dornsife and Carnegie Council Global Ethics Fellow

Guest Panelists:

• Richard Dekmejian, Professor and Director, Political Science, USC Dornsife
• Naama Haviv, Assistant Director, Jewish World Watch
• David Ritchie, Associate Professor of Law and Philosophy, Mercer University, and Carnegie Council Global Ethics Fellow
• Edwin Smith, Leon Benwell Professor of Law, International Relations and Political Science, USC Gould School of Law

See the full conversation here.

Moderated by: 

• Sharon Lloyd, Professor of Philosophy, Law and Political Science, USC Dornsife

Guest Panelists:

• Jesse Graham, Assistant Professor of Psychology, USC Dornsife
• Dan Schnur, Director, Jesse M. Unruh Institute of Politics, USC Dornsife
• Wendy Wood, Provost Professor of Psychology and Business, USC Dornsife
• Vanessa Singh, Ph.D. Candidate, Brain and Creativity Institute, USC Dornsife
• Ben Rolnik, Senior, Interdisciplinary Studies & Biology, President of the USC Philosophy Club

A Levan Coffeehouse Conversation