It is that time of year: graduation, commencement, celebration and satisfaction. At UConn, we find myriad ways to celebrate our students, by engaging graduates, their families and friends, our alumni, our faculty and staff. As dean, I find I pay attention to what others say in these settings and invariably learn in the process.
This year, Professor Robert Shiller, 2013 Nobel Laureate in Economics and a Professor at Yale, spoke at our undergraduate commencement and received an honorary degree from UConn. His message was powerful and important and dealt with “Business and the Good Society.” He chose to remind our business graduates, that while some give business a bad rap, it is an engine of growth and promise. Good business propels a rising tide that lifts all boats. He found a nice balance between engaging our thoughts and our emotions. He challenged all of us to engage with our world and to better it. His talk is worth a read.
Let me share three other speeches that I consider landmarks: Continue Reading