One way in which the University of St. Thomas is trying to realize its mission to "educate students...to work skillfully...to advance the common good" is with a new course called Work and the Good Life. Most of our students come here expecting that their college degrees will help them find jobs out of college. But as UST President Rob Vischer says, one reason that we have stellar employment outcomes is that we care about more than employment outcomes. We’re helping to form whole human beings, not just working people. And most of those people don’t just want paid employment; a Gallup study a few years ago found that 80+% of them want a purpose, but only around half of them would find it early in their careers. So this course is designed to enable students to think critically about their career choices so they can act wisely on the way to work that serves a worthwhile purpose in their lives and those of others.

In the first of a three-part speaker series, students heard from UST alum Quentin Moore about his quest for work and the good life.

• Sponsored by The Melrose & The Toro Company Center for Principled Leadership.
  • Produced by Nicole Zwieg Daly, JD, EdD, CPPM.
  • Engineered by Tom Forliti.

Is their one truth or is the truth relative? Are some moral values better than others? Are some cultural artifacts worth teaching and preserving more than others? Guided by perspectives in history, theology, and ethics from St. Thomas faculty (listed below) this conversation aims to foster understanding across differing values and religious beliefs as well as explore how shared values and a deeper understanding of moral differences can lead to a more inclusive higher education culture and stronger societal connections.

• Dr. Shaherzad Ahmadi, Associate Professor of History
• Dr. Laurel Potter, Assistant Professor of Theology
• Dr. Christopher Wong Michaelson, Barbara and David A. Koch (“coach”) Endowed Chair in Business Ethics & Academic Director of the Melrose & The Toro Company Center for Principled Leadership

Co-sponsored by the Jay Phillips Center for Interreligious Studies of the University of St. Thomas as part of their 2025 Culture of Encounter Ideas Festival.

• Sponsored by The Melrose & The Toro Company Center for Principled Leadership.
  • Produced by Nicole Zwieg Daly, JD, EdD, CPPM.
  • Engineered by Tom Forliti.

Is beauty something that's antithetical to work, or is beauty to be found anywhere and everywhere, including work? During this LIVE podcast recording, hear from St. Thomas students who talk about the future of work that they are hoping for, from professionals who share their everyday reality of work, and scholars who connect goodness, truth, and beauty to meaningful work and a meaningful life.

Student panelists:

• Cheniqua Morrison, majors in English and Film Studies
• Joe Burbach, major in Business Administration
• Katie Iverson, majors in Accounting and Law and Compliance, minor in Philosophy

Professional panelists:

• Maija Garcia, Director of Education and Professional Training, Guthrie Theater
• Quentin Moore, VP Advancement, Ascension Catholic Academy
• John Sullivan, J.D, Nonprofit Board Member and Retired General Counsel, Carlson Companies

Expert panelists:

• Mark McInroy, Th.D, Associate Chair of the Theology Department; Founding Co-Director of the Claritas Initiative
• Wendy Wyatt, Ph.D, Vice Provost for Academic Affairs; Founding Co-Director of the Claritas Initiative

Co-sponsored by:

• Academic Affairs
• The Career Development Center
• The Center for the Common Good
• The Claritas Initiative

• Sponsored by The Melrose & The Toro Company Center for Principled Leadership.
  • Produced by Nicole Zwieg Daly, JD, EdD, CPPM.
  • Engineered by Tom Forliti.