February 2007

On Campus

Leadership Series Focuses on Ethics

An Evening with Elie Wiesel was the second installment of the D.B. Reinhart Institute for Ethics in Leadership 2006 fall lecture series. Jamie Vollmer, a proponent of public education, opened with his lecture in August. His presentation, “Welcome to the Great Conversation: Increasing Community Support for Wisconsin’s Public Schools,” was co-sponsored by the La Crosse School District.

In October, part three of the series featured Lina Boff, a professor at Pontifical Catholic University in Rio de Janeiro, who presented “Solidarity and Communion in a Globalized World.” Boff explained why solidarity is needed in a globalized world that has urgent social, environmental, and economic issues to address. The lecture was co-sponsored by the department of world languages.

The series continued in November with Gilbert Meilaender, professor of Christian ethics at Valparaiso University and a member of the President’s Council on Bioethics. He addressed the issues of war, the use of force, and humanity. His presentation was co-sponsored by the Gundersen Lutheran Medical Foundation.

Former U.S. Congressman and current Council on Foundations President and CEO Steve Gunderson brought the series to a close. He spoke about the importance of professional associations and the potential for endowment building when wealth is transferred between generations. His presentation was co-sponsored by the La Crosse Community Foundation.