Special Events

ASCEND: Character and Leadership Development Workshop

Featured Speaker: Massimo Pigliucci, PhD, K.D. Irani Professor of Philosophy at the City College of New York

February 13, 2026 | 10:00AM – 12:00PM
Maxine A. Smith University Center - Fountain View Room (350)

Join us for an engaging and thought-provoking workshop led by renowned philosopher Dr. Massimo Pigliucci. This event will explore the intersection of character formation and human flourishing, framed through the lens of the University of Memphis’s strategic plan and ethos, ASCEND. Participants will examine the role of character in personal and professional development, and why cultivating character is essential alongside acquiring academic and career skills.

About the Featured Speaker

Massimo Pigliucci is an author, blogger, podcaster, as well as the K.D. Irani Professor of Philosophy at the City College of New York. His academic work is in evolutionary biology, philosophy of science, the nature of pseudoscience, and practical philosophy. Massimo publishes a regular column in Philosophy Now entitled “The Art of Living.” His books include Quest for Character: What the Story of Socrates and Alcibiades Teaches us About Our Search for Good Leaders (Basic Books), How to Be a Stoic: Using Ancient Philosophy to Live a Modern Life (Basic Books) and Nonsense on Stilts: How to Tell Science from Bunk (University of Chicago Press). Massimo’s latest is Beyond Stoicism: A Guide to the Good Life with Stoics, Skeptics, Epicureans, and Other Ancient Philosophers (with Greg Lopez and Meredith Kunz, The Experiment). More by Massimo can be found at his at Figs in Winter substack.

Event Details

• Open to UofM students, faculty, staff, and public
• Registration required | Limited seats
• Free admission
• Refreshments provided
• Participants will receive a free copy of Dr. Pigliucci’s book: Quest for Character: What the Story of Socrates and Alcibiades Teaches Us About Our Search for Good Leaders (Basic Books) - while supplies last

Registration

Student Registration >

Faculty & Staff Registration >

Public Registration >

Sponsors

Helen Hardin Honors College
College of Health Sciences

Contact Information

For questions or more details,  please contact:

• Dr. Jamie Brunsdon, Assistant Professor for Physical Education and Sport Pedgogy at jbrnsdon@memphis.edu
• Jonathan Holland, Assistant Director of the Helen Hardin Honors College at jhlland2@memphis.edu.