Past Events
For more information: Dr. Alan A. Preti, director, Institute for Ethical Leadership and Social Responsibility at Rosemont College at 610 527-0200, ext. 4222, or by email at ielsr@rosemont.edu.
Academic Year 2018-2019
Symposium: Machines, Minds, and Morality: Ethics in a Changing Technological World
Friday, April 5th, 2019
Keynote speaker: David Farber, Keio University
Participants discussed the dangers, dilemmas, and ethical implications of rapid advances in machine learning and artificial intelligence.
Lecture: Ethics in Philadelphia
Ellen Mattleman Kaplan, Chief Integrity Officer, City of Philadelphia
Ms. Kaplan shared her views on ethics in government and talked about her role in promoting the values of transparency, honesty, and fairness in Philadelphia city government.
Academic Year 2015-2016
Doing the Laundry, Dirty Shoes, and the Monastery Bell: Leadership Lessons from Pope Francis
Monday, October 24th, 2016
Chris Lowney was formed as a Jesuit (like Pope Francis), but unlike Jorge Bergoglio, who went on to become Pope, Chris found his life path outside the Jesuits and ended up becoming a Managing Director of JP Morgan and Co. on three continents. His talk will use Pope Francis as a case study in order to challenge our own assumptions about leadership and to invite each of us to step up to his or her leadership opportunity and responsibility.
Breaking Barriers Panel Discussion
Tuesday, March 15th, 2016
A panel discussion on Racial Justice was held on Tuesday, March 15 in the Rotwitt Theater, Dorothy Brown Science Building on the Rosemont College Campus.
Panelists included:
- Anita Allen (University of Pennsylvania)
- Jondhi Harrell (The Center for Returning Citizens)
- Elizabeth Linehan, RSM (Saint Joseph's University)
- Michael Yudell (Drexel University).
Presidential Lecture
Thursday, February 11th, 2016
Pietra Rivoli, PhD, Professor in the McDonough School of Business at Georgetown University lectured on her book, The Travels of a T-Shirt in the Global Economy (2005, 2009, 2014) on Thursday, February 11, 2016. Dr. Rivoli's book has been widely acclaimed by both the popular press and the academic community as a path breaking study of globalization.
This lecture was co-sponsored by the Undergraduate Business Program at Rosemont College.
Trinity Institute (TI2016)
January 2016
Rosemont College was a partner site for Trinity Institute (TI2016), an annual conference that takes place in New York City and which was streamed live via webcast in the Rotwitt Theater in January, 2016.
This year, Trinity Institute's "Listen for a Change: Sacred Conversations for Racial Justice" will explore the most pressing issues of our time, including structural racism, mass incarceration, and policy change. The Trinity conference provided us with a unique opportunity to have a meaningful conversation about the topic of racial justice, and in so doing, to address the dimension of this year's mission theme emphasizing diversity in human culture and experience.
Co-sponsored by the Society of the Holy Child Jesus and the Institute for Ethical Leadership and Social Responsibility at Rosemont College.
Woodrow Wilson Visiting Scholar, Robert Shetterly
Tuesday, October 27th, 2015 7:00 p.m.
“Lessons from Americans Who Tell the Truth: An Evening with Robert Shetterly” had the artist sharing his thoughts about his current project, a series of portraits of Americans concerned with issues of social justice. The lecture was particularly apt, as Rosemont’s mission theme for the year emphasizes reverence for the dignity of all persons, and the promotion of justice with compassion. Held on Tuesday, October 27, 2015 7:00 p.m. in Rotwitt Theater.
Academic Year 2014-2015
Holocaust, Genocide, and Ethnic Cleansing in the Balkans during the 20th Century
March 31st, 2015
Lecture by Paul Mojzes, Professor of Religious Studies.
Symposium: "Journey to Sustainability"
Keynote speaker: Mary Evelyn Tucker, Yale University.
The symposium explored the positive social and environmental impact of sustainability and sustainable business practices. The program included three primary speakers, four workshops, a panel discussion, and student poster presentations.
Journey of the Universe
March 24th, 2015
Screening of a documentary designed to inspire a new and closer relationship with Earth in a period of growing environmental and social crisis.
The Safe Haven Campaign
January 29th, 2015
Lecture by Gail Hambleton, National Director of the Interfaith Alliance to Abolish Human Trafficking. The Safe Haven Campaign is a project aimed at raising awareness of, and bringing an end to, human trafficking.
The Armstrong Lie
November 12th, 2015
Screening of a documentary chronicling the improbable rise of Lance Armstrong and his ultimate fall from grace.
Ethics in Business: A Public Issues Forum on Corporate Responsibility
September 27th, 2014
Speakers included R. Edward Freeman (University of Virginia), Patricia Werhane (DePaul University), and Gary Weaver (University of Delaware).
- R. Edward Freeman reflected on recent advances in Stakeholder Theory, a view which he first developed in the mid-1980s and which has become well-ensconced in the field of business ethics in addition to exercising a significant degree of influence among a growing number of business leaders.
- Patricia Werhane, a founding member and past president of the Society for Business Ethics, discussed globalization and its challenges to corporate social responsibility, emphasizing in particular how multinational corporations might approach the problem of global poverty.
- Gary Weaver addressed organizational approaches to the promotion of ethical behavior, suggesting that a values/aspiration approach has a more significant impact on relevant outcomes than a compliance/discipline approach.
Academic Year 2013-2014
Symposium: “Conscious Capitalism: New Directions in Business Leadership.”
April 25th, 2014
Speakers: Tom Gardner, CEO, The Motley Fool; Judy Wicks, author and founder of the Sustainable Business Network of Philadelphia.
"Leading the Way: Keeping Focused in a Sea of Chaos"
October 7th, 2013
Lecture by Michelle Henry, Esq., First Assistant District Attorney for Bucks County District Attorney’s Office.
Ethics Film/Lecture Series
- Philadelphia (AIDS/HIV), followed by presentation by Martie Gillin, founder of the nonprofit organization “Speak Out!” October 1st, 2013.
- A Place at the Table (Hunger in America). November 5th, 2013.
- The Visitor (Immigration and diversity). February 25th, 2014.
Academic Year 2012-2013
“Ability to Respond: Eyewitness Stories from the Rwandan Genocide.”
April 15th, 2013
Lecture by Carl Wilkens, former head of the Adventist Development and Relief Agency International in Rwanda. In 1994, while thousands of expatriates and foreign personnel were being evacuated from Rwanda as the genocide worsened, Wilkens chose to stay behind; his efforts resulted in the saving of hundreds of lives. He was featured in Frontline’s “Ghosts of Rwanda” and “The Few Who Stayed: Defying Genocide,” an American Radio Works documentary which aired on NPR.
"Dead Man Walking: The Journey Continues."
February 18th, 2013
Lecture by Sr. Helen Prejean, who authored Dead Man Walking and The Death of Innocents, which document her experiences as spiritual adviser for several death row inmates. A tireless advocate for abolition of the death penalty for nearly three decades, Sr. Helen's ministry has been instrumental in sparking national dialogue about capital punishment.
“Giving Voice to Values: Maintaining an Ethical Organization.”
March 19th, 2013
Lecture by Ellen Daly, Senior Manager, Ethics and Business Conduct for the Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control business area.
“Morality in the Marketplace.”
March 9th, 2013
Public Issues Forum in which three prominent business ethicists discussed a variety of ethical issues arising in the business and managerial context. The speakers were Robert Audi (University of Notre Dame), Joseph DesJardins (College of St. Benedict and St. John’s University, MN), and Daryl Koehn (University of St. Thomas, MN).
“Enrique’s Journey.”
November 26th, 2012
Lecture by Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Sonia Nazario, author of Enrique’s Journey, which documents the dangerous odyssey of a young man from Honduras traveling to the United States to locate his mother. The book was adopted as the common reading for the First-Year Connections Seminar during the fall semester.
“Ethical Blind Spots – When Leaders Fail Ethics.”
November 14th, 2012
Panel discussion on ethical failures in business, education, and other institutions. Participants included Ann K. Buchholz, (Rutgers University); Jason Dana, (University of Pennsylvania); Jonathan H. Marks, (Pennsylvania State University); and Woodrow Wilson Visiting Fellow Kathleen O’Neil.
Woodrow Wilson Visiting Fellow
November 12th-16th, 2012
The Institute hosted a week-long residency of Woodrow Wilson Fellow Kathleen O’Neil from November 12-16, 2012. Ms. O’Neil, a former Vice-President of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, shared her expertise and many stories of her remarkable career with a number of classes.
Film/Lecture Series
- Sun Come Up, a documentary chronicling some of the world's first environmental refugees, the Carteret Islanders. The film follows relocation leader Ursula Rakova and a group of young families as they search for new homes in war torn Bougainville, an autonomous region of Papua New Guinea. Post-film discussion was moderated by biology department faculty. October 1, 2012.
- Margin Call, a fictional account which takes place against the backdrop of the financial crisis of 2007-2008. Post-film discussion was led by Wilson Visiting Fellow Kate O’Neil. November 13, 2012.
- Dead Man Walking, based on Sr. Helen Prejean’s autobiographical account of her experiences as spiritual adviser for several death row inmates. Bryn Mawr Film Institute. February 16th, 2013.
Academic Year 2011-2012
Ethics Film/Lecture Series
The Ethics Film/Lecture Series included screenings of Crash, Waiting for Superman, and The Social Network, each of which raise important moral issues. Post-film discussions were moderated by college faculty; additional speakers included Veronica Joyner, founder and CAO of The Mathematics, Civics and Sciences Charter School of Philadelphia, Inc., who led discussion after our showing of Waiting for Superman.
Symposium: “Ethical Leadership: Whose Business? Your Business!”
April 20th, 2012
The Institute’s inaugural symposium was a tremendous success. Attended by over 300 people, the event opened with a keynote address by John C. Bogle, founder of The Vanguard Group. Mr. Bogle was followed by three leading scholars in the fields of leadership studies and business ethics. First was Joanne Ciulla, Coston Family Chair of Ethics at the University of Richmond.
Dr. Ciulla’s lively presentation addressed failures in leadership and the importance of the classical virtues for ethical leadership. Punctuating her presentation with poignant and humorous examples, Dr. Ciulla vividly brought to life the meaning of “doing good by leading well.” After lunch, Ronald Duska, former Rosemont philosophy professor and president of Duska Business Ethics Consulting, spoke on “The Corruption of Ethical Leadership.”
Dr. Duska pointed out how the failures of leadership in the financial industry during the collapse of 2007-08 were in large part the result of “losing soul” – a process by which corporations concerned themselves primarily with increased profits, thereby losing sight of their main purpose and mission, which is to produce goods and/or services for customers. Reverend William J. Byron, S.J., former president of The Catholic University of America and currently on the faculty at St. Joseph’s University, rounded out the day by speaking on “Old Ethical Principles for the New Corporate Culture,” identifying integrity, veracity, fairness, human dignity, social responsibility, and the Common Good as central principles necessary for ethical leadership in the business world. Each of the speakers generated lively responses from participating panelists and questions from audience members.