Joe Zalot, PhD

Director of Education and Ethicist
215-871-2014 | jzalot@ncbcenter.org

Dr. Joe Zalot is the Director of Ethics at The National Catholic Bioethics Center. In addition to overseeing the NCBC Certification Program, Chaplaincy Program, and dual college/high school “Introduction to Catholic Health Care Ethics” course, he produces and hosts the NCBC’s Bioethics on Air podcast and has authored multiple statements, guides, and book chapters for NCBC publications. He also lectures for the NCBC, is interviewed by local and national media on health care ethics topics, and has responded to over 2300 ethics consultations.

Joe earned his PhD from Marquette University in 2002, an MEd from Boston College in 1997, an MEd from Springfield College in 1991, and a BA from St. Anselm College in 1989. He has authored two books along with numerous articles and book chapters, and has presented at academic conferences both domestically and internationally.

Prior to coming to the NCBC, he served from 2015 to 2017 as the Regional Director of Ethics and Spiritual Care for Mercy Health–Cincinnati. In this role he chaired the regional ethics committee, reviewed and drafted ethics and spiritual care policies, and started a nurse ethics education program. During this time, he also served as a lecturer at Mount St. Mary’s Seminary and the Athenaeum of Ohio where he taught the courses “Medical Ethics” and “Morality and Justice in Catholic Life.” From 2004 to 2009, he was an Assistant Professor of Religious Studies at Mount St. Joseph University in Cincinnati, and from 2009 to 2015 he was an Associate Professor with tenure. At Mount St. Joseph, he taught courses in Health Care Ethics, Business Ethics, Sexual and Reproductive Ethics, and Christian Marriage. He also taught student travel courses to Rome that integrated the Catholic faith with history and art. He is married to his wife Sue (1994) and they have a daughter, Maria.