SUNY Buffalo Department of Philosophy Outstanding Teacher Award

SUNY Buffalo Graduate Student Excellence in Teaching Award

Baylor College of Medicine Center for Medical Ethics and Health Policy

Weill Cornell Medical Center Clinical Ethics Service

The Academy for Professionalism in Health Care 

Romanell Center for Bioethics and Humanities: Buffalo NY. Associate Fellow

The American Catholic Philosophical Association 

We don’t need unilateral DNRs: taking informed non-dissent one step further

Moral Courage in the ICU

Building a Vibrant Clinical Ethics Consultation Service

What’s in a Name? How “Deep Brain Stimulation” May Influence Patients’ Perceptions

Villanova University was founded in 1842 by the Order of Saint Augustine. To this day, Villanova’s Augustinian Catholic intellectual tradition is the cornerstone of an academic community in which students learn to think critically, act compassionately and succeed while serving others. Villanova prepares students to become ethical leaders who create positive change everywhere life takes them.


The strength of the Villanova experience comes in part from the University’s welcoming community. All members are bonded together by a shared responsibility to uphold the ideals of Saint Augustine and let the principles of truth, unity and love guide their lives. The Villanova community helps students grow intellectually, professionally and spiritually, and challenges them to reach their full potential.


The University’s rigorous academic experience, rooted in the liberal arts, forms an environment in which students and professors are partners in learning. The Villanova community is dedicated to providing a personalized experience that fosters every student’s intellectual and spiritual well-being. As part of their education, students are encouraged to enrich their own lives by working for those in need. Through academic and service programs, students use their knowledge, skills and compassion to better the world around them.


There are more than 10,000 undergraduate, graduate and law students in the University’s six colleges—the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, the Villanova School of Business, the College of Engineering, the College of Nursing, the College of Professional Studies and the Villanova University Charles Widger School of Law. These colleges are the setting for an experience that develops both the heart and the mind, and creates the atmosphere where students are called to ignite change.


Villanova University is located in a suburban community 12 miles west of Philadelphia, Pa.

Villanova University

Peter Koch is an assistant professor of philosophy at Villanova University. He received his Doctorate in Philosophy from SUNY Buffalo and completed a Post-Doctoral Fellowship  at Baylor College of Medicine, focused in biomedical ethics, philosophy of law, and philosophy of medicine. Peter is an experienced Clinical Ethics consultant with a demonstrated history of working in high volume critical care and nursing care settings. His publication topics include patient welfare, the metaphysics of brain death, and a range of issues within biomedical and clinical ethics. Peter frequently presents research to clinical and academic audiences both nationally and internationally.

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