Insights & Expertise

Get Ready for Thinkfest: A Saint Joseph’s Reading List

Before tuning in to this year’s virtual Thinkfest, Philadelphia Magazine’s premier thought leadership event, brush up on some of the topics area leaders will be covering with insights from Saint Joseph’s experts.

Written by: Emmalee Eckstein

Published: June 3, 2020

Total reading time: 3 minutes

Every year, Philadelphia Magazine hosts Thinkfest, a multi-day “festival of ideas” where experts in the area convene to postulate on the future of the city. For a second year, Saint Joseph’s is sponsoring the event and joining the conversation.

This year, the festival will be hosted virtually due to COVID-19 and will ask Philadelphia’s most influential leaders and thinkers to examine the long-term impact of the novel coronavirus, from health care to hospitality. Saint Joseph’s President Mark C. Reed, Ed.D., will introduce Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney, who will speak about “The Future of Philadelphia” at 4 p.m. on June 11.

Check out the conference schedule, and read on for suggested articles with insights from Saint Joseph’s experts that will help you better prepare for these complex conversations:

  1. The Unexpected Truth about Leading During a Crisis
    Leading during uncertainty doesn’t mean leading differently; instead, it’s about recommitting to the principles that are effective under normal circumstances. 

    Featured SJU experts: Ronald Dufresne, Ph.D., associate professor of management and director of the Leadership, Ethics and Organizational Sustainability Program; Thomas Beeman ’75, ’77 (M.A.), Ph.D., FACHE, Executive-in-Residence. Dufresne and Beeman also participated in a recent Unlimited Learning webinar on this topic.

    Pairs with: Thinkfest’s The Future of Philadelphia featuring Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney.
  2. SJU Supports Gompers Elementary, a Philadelphia Community School
    Saint Joseph's has a deep and long-standing relationship with Overbrook neighbor Samuel Gompers Elementary School. Its designation as a Philadelphia community school strengthens the University’s ongoing involvement with Gompers and its program effectiveness.

    Featured SJU experts: Aimee LaPointe Terosky, Ed.D., associate professor of educational leadership, who is also a member of the Gompers Elementary School Advisory Council

    Pairs with: Thinkfest’s The Future of Philadelphia Public Schools featuring Dr. Bill Hite, Superintendent of the School District of Philadelphia on June 8 at noon.
  3. How Coronavirus Could Change the Future of Work
    The surge in telecommuting due to efforts to stop the spread of coronavirus could spur companies to broadly rethink what it means to be “present” at work, says Eric Patton, Ph.D., associate professor of management.

    Featured SJU experts: Eric Patton, Ph.D., associate professor of management

    Pairs with: Thinkfest’s The Future of Work featuring Wil Reynolds, founder and director of innovation, Seer Interactive, and Asher Raphael, co-CEO, Power Home Remodeling on June 12 at noon.
  4. Physical Distancing Is Temporary — But Some Grocery Habits May Stick
    Customers have recently adopted new grocery shopping habits out of necessity due to the need for physical distancing, but those trends won’t completely go away once the threat of coronavirus has passed, Saint Joseph’s experts say.

    Featured SJU experts: John L. Stanton, Ph.D., professor of food marketing; Ernest Baskin, Ph.D., assistant professor of food marketing. Stanton recently participated in an Unlimited Learning webinar on this topic.

    Pairs with: Thinkfest’s The Future of Tourism and Retail on June 12 at 4 p.m.