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 most of them want a purpose but relatively few 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 second of a three-part speaker series, students heard from Second Harvest Heartland Chief Development Officer Erica Campbell about her 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.

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.

Is fantasy football part of the good life, is it just a colossal waste of time – or worse? This podcast is ordinarily about work, but this episode is about play, and whether any redeeming consequences come from the work that a $30 billion industry of analysts, podcasters, pundits, gamers, and other fantasy nerds put into it. To put that question to the test, in Fall 2024, 11 honors students at the University of St. Thomas and Professor Christopher Wong Michaelson formed a fantasy football league for a class called “Fantasy Football and the Good Life.” While playing fantasy football against each other, they also discussed ethical questions in fantasy sports: from fairness to conflicts of interest, racism to sexism in sports, collusion and punishment, and more.

For the final class assignment, students had to select and debate five propositions examined over the semester. The propositions concern the following topics: success, punishment, fair play, luck, and gambling. Who won and who lost each debate doesn’t matter any more than who won and lost on the fantasy football field. To judge the arguments, student judges were joined by one celebrity guest judge: University of St. Thomas Head Football Coach and multiple coach of the year award-winner, Glenn Caruso.

Listen and learn about "Fantasy Football and the Good Life."

Thanks for listening to Work in Progress with Christopher Wong Michaelson.

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

The Melrose Twin Cities Principled Leadership Award was established in 2021 to honor Ken Melrose, namesake of the Melrose & The Toro Company Center for Principled Leadership and fervent champion of ethics and servant leadership as well as promote an aspirational vision of responsible and responsive leadership in practice.

The 2023 awardee, George Lee, is the founder of Jobs Foundation, REPOWERED, and CEO Snap Agency. His genuine care for people is at the cores of his character. Poverty alleviation, vocational skills development, promotion of sustainable industry, elimination of discrimination, urban waste management, hazardous waste reduction, and climate change mitigation are just a few of the United Nations Sustainable Development goals achieved here in Twin Cities as a result of Lee's unwavering dedication to create social enterprises focused on BOTH providing comprehensive job training for individuals facing barriers to employment AND responsible electronic waste recycling.

Listen and learn more about Lee and his service to the common good.

Thanks for listening to Work in Progress with Christopher Wong Michaelson.

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

Is Your Work Worth It? : A conversation with Chad Sokol is the third of three episodes of Work in Progress with Christopher Wong Michaelson featuring interviewees whose stories appear in my new book with Jennifer Tosti-Kharas, Is Your Work Worth It? Because don’t we all, at some point, wonder whether what we get out of our work is worth what we give to it?

Sokol has held some of the best executive positions we can imagine, as the head buyer of wine, beer, and now candy at Costco, the U.S.-based warehouse club retail chain. But on his career journey, he has also operated a drill press machine and herded carts in the parking lot. Did I mention he also performs music and is a published poet? Listen on for his take on what makes his work worth it.

Thanks for listening to Work in Progress with Christopher Wong Michaelson.

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

Is Your Work Worth It? : A conversation with Kristine Enea, JD, is the second of three episodes of Work in Progress with Christopher Wong Michaelson featuring interviewees whose stories appear in my new book with Jennifer Tosti-Kharas, Is Your Work Worth It? Because don’t we all, at some point, wonder whether what we get out of our work is worth what we give to it?

Enea has had many careers: in law, big tech, writing a book, politics, and real estate, among others. Now 58 years old, she is a student again, preparing for her next career: as a medical doctor. Listen on for her take on what makes her work worth it.

Thanks for listening to Work in Progress with Christopher Wong Michaelson.

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