Andrew Murphy appointed as Richard L. Morrill Distinguished University Chair in Ethics and Democratic Values
The University of Richmond announced that Andrew R. Murphy, professor of political science at Rutgers University, New Brunswick, will serve as the Richard L. Morrill Distinguished University Chair in Ethics and Democratic Values during the fall 2018 semester.
The chair is named for Chancellor Richard L. Morrill, who served as the seventh president of the University of Richmond. The search committee included representation from all five schools at the University of Richmond and was chaired by Jepson School of Leadership Studies Dean Sandra J. Peart.
“Ethics-training is increasingly important in all careers and professions,” said Peart. “The Jepson School, and the University of Richmond as a whole, have already established great strength and breadth in ethics teaching and scholarship. The Morrill Chair will add to our prominence in this field.”
Murphy will be appointed to the Jepson School while at the University. As chair holder, Murphy will offer a public lecture, lead a faculty seminar, and engage fully in the Jepson School’s intellectual community. His scholarship will explore the relationship between his two areas of study: the emergence of religious liberty in England and America during the 17th century and contemporary issues of religion and politics in the United States.
“I will be examining the connections between the history of religious freedom that led to the First Amendment in the United States on the one hand, and contemporary legal, political and cultural battles over same-sex marriage and contraception on the other, most notably in recent Supreme Court cases like Hobby Lobby and the upcoming Masterpiece Cakeshop case,” said Murphy.
Murphy is the author or editor of eight books, including Liberty, Conscience, and Toleration: The Political Thought of William Penn, published by Oxford University Press in 2016. He joined the political science department at Rutgers University, New Brunswick in 2008, and has previously taught at Valparaiso University and University of Chicago. He earned his doctorate in political science from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.