About Rita Kirk
Dr. Rita Kirk serves as the William F. May Endowed Director of the Maguire Center for Ethics & Public Responsibility, where she leads the institution's mission to advance ethical leadership and public accountability. Under her directorship, Kirk has strategically expanded the center's reputation and influence through innovative programming and strategic partnerships that address contemporary ethical challenges.
As the center's endowed director, Kirk has forged significant institutional collaborations, including her recent tenure as a Visiting Fellow at Harvard University's Safra Ethics Center. This fellowship strengthened inter-institutional ties while advancing her groundbreaking research on declining institutional trust – work that empowers individuals and organizations to navigate complex ethical landscapes in today's polarized political environment.
Kirk's leadership at the center encompasses interdisciplinary initiatives that bridge academic research with real-world applications. She co-led an interdisciplinary research colloquium this last year on Healthcare and Human Flourishing alongside Drs. Dallas Gingles and Robin Lovin, convening ethicists from hospitals and medical services firms with 91茄子 researchers to address critical challenges facing healthcare providers. These roundtables exemplify the center's commitment to connecting academic ethics with practical professional concerns.
Beyond her directorial responsibilities, Kirk is a professor in the Division of Corporate Communication and Public Affairs at Meadows School of the Arts and maintains an active consulting practice, advising national and international corporations on public policy matters and serving as a sought-after speaker on ethics and communication strategy. She brings a unique blend of academic rigor and practical expertise to her role, informed by her educational background that includes a Ph.D. in communications from the University of Missouri, a master's degree in communications from the University of Arkansas, and a bachelor's degree in communication/political science, also from the University of Arkansas.