Why Work? Business, Professions, and the Common Good

March 20, 2008

"Why Work? Business, Professions, and the Common Good" is a two-day conference, March 27-28, exploring the challenges of modern business and professional life and the relationship between personal values and the world of work. Part of Wake Forest’s Voices of Our Time series, the conference will focus on how to help students and young professionals address professional challenges and how universities, workplaces, and individuals can help rekindle the deep sense of responsibility to the common good that has been the traditional hallmark of professional identity.

The opening session, "Making Sense of Modern Professional Life", will be held at 4 p.m. Thursday, March 27 in Wait Chapel and will feature David Brooks, New York Times columnist, as the keynote speaker followed by a panel discussion including Brooks, Alex Sink, chief financial officer of the state of Florida, and Steven Reinemund, PepsiCo.

On Friday, March 28, from 9 a.m. - 5 p.m., six conference sessions will be held in various locations across campus focusing on the specific challenges facing those in the professions of theology, medicine, law, business, public service and education. Experts and scholars from each of these disciplines will be featured in the sessions.

The conference is free and open to the public. Ample seating will be available for the March 27 session. The March 28 conference sessions will have limited seating for the general public.

A complete schedule with locations is available at www.wfu.edu/voices.