Unlimited Learning Expert Webinar Series

Tiffany Tavarez, Senior Vice President & Business Solutions Leader, Wells Fargo Advisors, will share how personal and professional experiences shape our ability to be empathetic, our need to belong and our willingness to be a champion for the communities where we live and work. Through exploring the use of narrative and meaning of value, Tiffany will explore why diversity, equity and inclusion comes from identifying its personal value to you; not just from the results of our professional outcomes.

Following a short keynote presentation, Nicole Stokes, Ph.D. Associate Provost for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion / University Professor of Sociology, and Christian Furler O’Brien '13 Co-Chairperson, SJU Diverse Alumni Council, National Alumni Board, will lead a discussion session with Ms. Tavarez on our personal and shared social responsibility to engage and connect with the work of inclusive excellence and equity.

Climate change is certainly not a new topic — but the conversation has shifted from “how did this happen?” to “what do we do now?” The health of our environment is one of the greatest challenges we currently face and the actions we do or don’t take now will have a profound impact on the health and stability of future generations of global citizens. In Pope Francis’ 2015 encyclical Laudato Si: On Care for Our Common Home, the Jesuit leader of the Catholic faith called for an inclusive conversation about the care of our planet and its most vulnerable people who are disproportionately affected by climate change. The response to climate change is much more than reduce, reuse, recycle — it’s our behavior and actions that will help create climate resilience and adaptation.

In this Unlimited Learning webinar, Clint Springer, Ph.D., director of the Institute for Environmental Stewardship and associate professor, and Judy Ward ’07 (EMBA), CEO of Advanced Enviro Systems, will discuss the ways we can all make an impact on the health of our world. They will discuss how decisions as small as your purchase to larger policy decisions in your county, state and country can impact the health of our community, especially the most marginalized groups in societies who will be most impacted by the effects of climate change. The conversation will be moderated by Christina Lampert ’16, director of sales at HowGood.

Transitions can often be difficult for individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) or developmental disabilities and their families, from the time they entered pre-kindergarten and on. But the transition from adolescence and K-12 education to adulthood may be the most daunting for families, with the routines and steady support system of their K-12 schools coming to an end. To help individuals on the spectrum prepare for their next chapter, whether it’s entering the workforce, vocational school or college, there are resources that families can take advantage of as early as the pre-teen years.

Saint Joseph’s University’s experts Jessica Joseph, Ph.D, BCBA, director of programs at the Kinney Center for Autism Education and Support, and Cheryl George, Ph.D., associate professor and chair of the Department of Special Education at Saint Joseph’s, hear about various transitional services and how parents and educators can help teens and pre-teens gain lifelong skills and tools for success. They discuss how transition preparation can be integrated into a teen’s everyday life, how the role of caregivers and educators change with time, and how to be supportive to individuals with autism and those with differing abilities throughout their lives. This conversation is moderated by David Werner ’20.

In times of crisis and uncertainty, many people look to their faith or their religion for guidance and consolation. Yet, the COVID-19 pandemic and the necessary precautions we must take to keep ourselves and our communities safe have made even the most common religious practices and displays of faith more complicated.

For religious communities in America and abroad, the pandemic necessitated a rethinking of how to worship, experience our faith and find community beyond our churches, synagogues and mosques. In the past year, we have had to transform traditions around major religious celebrations from Passover and Ramadan to Christmas — and now we’re heading into our second Lenten season since the first case of COVID-19 in the U.S. Despite the change and uncertainty, people are still finding ways to connect with their faith and are looking to their religious traditions as a source of comfort and hope.

Saint Joseph’s University’s experts, Rev. Dan Joyce. S.J. ’88 and Rabbi Abraham Skorka, reflect on the impact of the past year, the importance of faith during uncertainty, and how we can all continue to find ways to look to our faith to help us weather uncertain times.

How, when and why a consumer makes a purchase can provide companies with rich insight into who their business is servicing and how they can grow and adapt in a changing market. The importance of business decisions that are driven by data like this has become even more vital as we all navigate the changing landscape of the COVID-19 pandemic. Every industry, and especially the retail industry, has had to pivot to keep their consumers confident and coming back, bringing necessity to innovation during these times.

Our Unlimited Learning experts, Rob Almond ‘04 (MBA), CEO of NEST, and Michael Solomon, Ph.D., professor of marketing at Saint Joseph’s University, dive into the importance of consumer behavior in 2020 and beyond and how business leaders are using this data to make critical decisions. The conversation is moderated by Gabriela Perdomo ‘20, associate consumer manager of e-commerce at Mars.

Over the last few years, the demand for chief diversity officers has been on the rise across the United States. According to a July 2020 article by CNBC, “job postings for diversity and inclusion roles on Glassdoor are up 55% since early June when the conversation around racial tensions — and corporate America’s response —took center stage.” But chief diversity officers cannot change company culture alone. It’s imperative that everyone—from new hires to executive leaders— deliberate on their biases, practices and behaviors to examine how we may be perpetuating inequalities and what we can do better. 

Reflection is a necessary first step in taking action. 2020 is the year for widespread reflection of our systems, the consistent inequalities that exist and how we can create opportunities for all races, ethnicities, genders, sexuality and religion, as well as the neurodiverse to sit at the table. We find ourselves at an important juncture and organizations have an opportunity to identify practice and the underlying values that either sustain or eliminate oppressive and exclusionary policies.  

Co-sponsored by the Center for Inclusion and Diversity at Saint Joseph’s and moderated by Tim Tabthong ‘19, which featured Saint Joseph’s experts: Brittany L. Bronson ‘17 (M.S.), owner of Rebrand Career Consulting and former assistant managing director for the City of Philadelphia, and Aubrey Wang, Ph.D., professor of educational leadership and director of the organization development and leadership graduate program at Saint Joseph’s University. They explored the history behind the continued challenges organizations face with diversity, equity, and representation in leadership, what organizations can do to create or support a welcoming, inclusive workplace, and what employees can do, too.

From little leagues to professional leagues to esports leagues, sports play a huge role in the lives of many Americans. Professional sports in the United States are a $500 billion industry. In early March, sport and entertainment industries were some of the first to announce closing in response to the coronavirus pandemic. As fans try to adjust to the new normal, industry experts are assessing what challenges and opportunities have arisen from the pandemic and what lasting effects they may have on the business of sports. 

Join our experts, Adjunct Professor of Esports Marketing and Vice President, Compensation Strategy & Insights at Comcast Jim Multari ‘05 (MBA) and Assistant Professor of Sports Marketing Stephanie Tryce, J.D., and moderator, Megan Kloss ‘19, as they discuss pending or potential changes to the sports industry post-COVID, including changes to the game-day experience, the role of technology, potential shifts in fan demographics and marketing, and the accelerated rise of esports.

As the coronavirus swept through Philadelphia, the pandemic shone a light on the deep systemic inequalities in our city. From public health and access, to education to employment and housing, the pandemic exacerbated preexisting gaps. Now, with recent national events also drawing attention to systematic racism at large, the topic is an important one for Philadelphians to face. 

Join us for a special edition of Unlimited Learning, hosted by Imani Briscoe '17, with three experts: Susan Clampet-Lundquist, Ph.D., Professor of Sociology and author of Coming of Age in the Other America; Keith Leaphart ’01 (MBA), D.O., Chair of the Lenfest Foundation and President and CEO of Replica Creative; and Nicole Stokes, Ph.D., Associate Provost of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. 

Explore the structural inequalities that exist in your community and learn more about how you can be part of the change and the promotion of justice for all. 

The use of technology for daily operations has increased drastically as we all rely on video conferencing and instant messaging apps to stay connected personally and professionally and look to telehealth to stay healthy during COVID-19. This rapid transition has highlighted the need for increased focus on current cybersecurity measures, forcing businesses to adapt and to quickly assess risk to protect stakeholders.  

The challenges and lessons we are learning during this time give us the opportunity to enhance our cybersecurity and support it with innovative technology going forward. We all need to think strategically today, so we can thrive tomorrow. 

Join us for our next webinar hosted by Andrew Napolitano ‘17 with our experts, Babak Forouraghi, Ph.D. and Monique St. John ‘94, as they discuss how industries have responded to cybersecurity during the coronavirus pandemic, how we can all stay protected today, and trends that businesses will continue to adopt in the post-coronavirus future.  

During times of uncertainty and hardship, servant leadership is more important than ever. Servant leadership is just one part of the Jesuit tradition, focusing on how you can make someone else’s life better and in turn, improve your own. This type of leadership reframes the traditional role of the leader from getting someone to do something towards how you can help others grow and feel fulfilled. 

Servant leadership is familiar territory to the next experts in our Unlimited Learning Series: Saint Joseph's Haub School of Business Executive-in-Residence Thomas E. Beeman ’75, ’77 (M.A.), Ph.D., FACHE and Professor of Management Ronald Dufresne, Ph.D.

This free, interactive Zoom webinar is hosted by alumna Rosanna DeFilippo '15 including a Q&A session.