The CU Denver Philosophy Department sadly reports the passing of our dear friend and former colleague, Melinda M. Wilding. Melinda taught ethics and bioethics for many years at CU Denver as well as in the CU Succeed program; she was the Philosophy department's CU Succeed Liaison for many years. Wilding also served as a volunteer clinical instructor at the School of Medicine at the University of Colorado Anschutz. She was an extraordinary person -- deeply caring, generous, and dedicated to her work, Colorado, and CU Denver.
In 2019, Wilding made the difficult but happy decision to move from her beloved Colorado to take a job as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Internal Medicine at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) School of Medicine.
Wilding’s specialization was in applied ethical reasoning and bioethical deliberation and problem solving. As her bio on the UTRGV website put it, “When clinicians pivot reasoning from the traditional clinical gaze to patient care narratives and community-based scopes, standards of care are enhanced which leads to greater overall individual and stakeholder health.”
Dr. Wilding received her Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy and a Master of Arts in Bioethics from Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine in Cleveland, Ohio. She received a doctorate degree in bioethics from Loyola University of Chicago Neiswanger Institute for Bioethics and Healthcare Leadership in Chicago, Illinois.
Melinda had an indomitable and happy spirit; she enlightened our students and brightened our hallways with her spark and intellect. She will be sorely missed.
