Five University of Lynchburg students will compete in the Virginia Foundation for Independent Colleges’ 26th annual statewide collegiate Applied Ethics Bowl on Friday, Feb. 13. The event, presented by TowneBank, will take place in the University of Richmond’s Ukrop Auditorium.
Lynchburg’s team will compete against students from other Virginia colleges and universities, deliberating a variety of case studies related to the 2026 theme, “Ethics and Business.”
There will be multiple rounds of competition throughout the day, culminating in the championship round and a reception at Richmond’s Jepson Alumni Center. The winning team will be announced in the late afternoon.
Lynchburg’s team includes Trent Adkins ’29, William Ely ’29, Indra Velasco ’28, Alisha Knotts ’27, and the team’s captain, Kaitlyn Regan ’26.
“Lynchburg students have been competing at a high level in the Ethics Bowl tournament for many years, and this year’s team is stronger than ever,” said Dr. Amy Merrill Willis, director of general education and outcomes assessment, professor of religious studies, and one of the team’s faculty coordinators.
“We have the perfect mix of two successful veteran team members and three new team members. Each member … brings their own expertise from their major to the case prep. Watching the team integrate their knowledge from business, economics, international relations, philosophy-political science, and biomedical science has been really fun and interesting.
“I can’t wait to see them in action. This will also be a great opportunity for them to network with business and community leaders from all over the state.”
Dr. Chip Walton, interim chief academic officer and vice president of academic affairs, is the team’s other faculty coordinator.
