Dr. Joe Kotva is an Affiliate Faculty Member at the IU Center for Bioethics and an Assistant Professor of Medicine at the IU School of Medicine - South Bend. 

Dr. Kotva received a bachelor's degree in Philosophy & Bible from Eastern Mennonite College, followed by a master's degree in Theological Studies from the Associated Mennonite Biblical Seminary, and a PhD in Theology & Ethics from Fordham University. 

• Fundamentals of Clinical Practice 
• Intro to Medical Ethics: Virtue, Narrative, and Justice in Healthcare 
• Climate Change and Health 
• Stories of Ethics and Illness

Research Interests:

• Medical Ethics
• Virtue Ethics 
• Climate Health 
• Truth-indifference 
• Forgiveness 
• Medical Ethics Education 

Selected Publications:

• On Moral Medicine: Theological Perspectives in Medical Ethics, 3^rd Edition. M. Therese Lysaught and Joseph J. Kotva Jr., editors.  Eerdmans. 2012.

• Stone, J.F.; Bales, J.R.; Harris, J.D.; Harper, C.E.; Scott, J.J.; Kotva, J.J.; Lassen, D.S. “Client and Pantry Factors Influencing Transportation-Related Barriers Among Users of Food Pantries: A Cross-Sectional Analysis.” Foods 2025, 14, 3673.

• Barnett, Camryn, Matthew Aaron Turner, Medha Somayaji, Kennedy O. Onuoha, and Joseph J. Kotva Jr. 2026. “Losing Caregivers to the Dyad.” American Journal of Bioethics 26 (4): 75–77.

• Trustee's Teaching Award, IUSM, 2025

• Outstanding Faculty/Staff Advocate Award 2023