Travis Pickell, PhD

Travis Pickell joined George Fox University as assistant professor of theology and ethics in 2021. He also oversees the Cornerstone Core curriculum and directs the Character Virtue Initiative.

Prior to arriving at George Fox, he served as a faculty member at the University of Virginia before transitioning to the role of associate director of university engagement and tutor at Anselm House, a center for Christian study at the University of Minnesota.

He teaches courses in Christian theology, Christian ethics, healthcare ethics, ethics of technology, and death and dying. He also teaches in the George Fox Honors Program.

Pickell currently serves as a research affiliate and advisory board member for The Human Flourishing Program at Harvard University's Institute for Quantitative Social Science, as well as the co-chair of the Christian Theology & Bioethics Interest Group at the American Society of Bioethics and Humanities (ASBH).

He is the author of Burdened Agency: Christian Theology and End-of-Life Ethics (University of Notre Dame Press, 2024; read a blog interview about the book here). He has also published journal articles in The Princeton Theological Review, The Bavinck Review, The Other Journal, The Los Angeles Review of Books, Studies in Christian Ethics, Christianity Today, Christian Scholars' Review, Church Life Journal, and the Journal of the Society of Christian Ethics.

Pickell lives in Newberg with his wife, three daughters, and their family dog, Lucy. His family attends Newberg Friends Church, where he preaches regularly. 

Academic Background

PhD, Theology, Ethics & Culture, University of Virginia 
MA, Ethics, University of Virginia
MDiv, Princeton Theological Seminary
BA, Public Policy, The College of William and Mary