Shirin Karsan Receives the 2026 School of Biomed Elisabeth Papazoglou Inspired Leadership Award June 5, 2026 Shirin Karsan received the 2026 Elisabeth Papazoglou Inspired Leadership Award from the School of Biomedical Engineering, Science and Health Systems. This award is given in recognition of an individual who demonstrates exceptional abilities to lead, serve, collaborate, and inspire with broad impact and special distinction. Shirin is a globally engaged bioethicist, educator, and leader dedicated to advancing ethical decision-making, service, and peace building. She holds a Master of Bioethics from the University of Pennsylvania, where she was the only Fulbright Scholar in 2009. Her research in the United Arab Emirates explored reproductive ethics and in vitro fertilization within an Emirati Sunni Muslim context and has been published in multiple academic journals and books. Shirin serves on the Medical Ethics and Health Policy External Advisory Board at the University of Pennsylvania and on the Dean’s Executive Advisory Council at Drexel University, where she also taught graduate bioethics. She previously directed Drexel’s award-winning “We Serve” program, leading international service-learning initiatives in The Gambia and Mozambique, among other countries. As Chair Emeritus of the YPO (Young Presidents’ Organization)’s, Peace Action Network Shirin has worked with global leaders across 140 countries to advance dialogue and build bridges to counter polarization. She has served on multiple nonprofit boards, including The Philadelphia Foundation and The Welcoming Center, where she was honored with the 2024 Solas Award. A Ugandan-born refugee whose family was dispersed across continents, Shirin brings a deeply personal perspective to her lifelong commitment to ethics and peace-driven leadership.
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