Bryan Dik to Speak at First of Two Wendt Center for Character Education Spring Lectures

Mar 4, 2013 | University of Dubuque Theological Seminary

On Monday, March 11, the University of Dubuque's Wendt Center for Character Education will host a lecture by author and vocational psychologist Bryan Dik.  The lecture will begin at 7:00 p.m. in the Stoltz Sports Center on the University of Dubuque Campus.  The event is free and open to the public.

Dik's lecture is titled Web-Slinging and World-Changing: Career Guidance from Spider-Man, Martin Luther, and a Hospital Janitor.  There aren't many topics on which superheroes, Protestant Reformers, and cutting-edge psychological science converge, but "How can I discern and live out my calling?" is one.  In this talk, Dik, co-author of Make Your Job a Calling, will use examples and evidence to explore what a calling means, how to discern your calling, and how to transform an uninspiring job into a pathway for purpose.  He will offer practical steps you can take to bring joy and meaning into your work, regardless of where you are in your career path.

"Dr. Dik's passion to help people find meaning in their work, whatever that work may be, illustrates the University of Dubuque's commitment to understanding work as vocation," commented Annalee Ward, director of the Wendt Center for Character Education.  "We want our students to be able to approach their work with purpose."

Bryan Dik, PhD, serves as associate professor of psychology at Colorado State University.  He is cofounder and chief science officer of Career Analytics Network/jobZology. His research targets calling, meaningful work, religion and workplace spirituality, vocational interests, and career development interventions. He serves on the editorial boards of six research journals, including Journal of Counseling Psychology, Journal of Vocational Behavior, and Journal of Career Assessment. He is recipient of the 2010 Early Career Professional Award from the Society for Vocational Psychology, and is coeditor of two other books: Psychology of Religion and Workplace Spirituality and Purpose and Meaning in the Workplace.

The Wendt Character Initiative was established in 2004 at the University of Dubuque by the endowed Lester and Michael Lester Wendt Character Initiative Fund.  The Initiative operates under the care of the Wendt Center for Character Education.  This Initiative promotes a campus culture that nurtures the formation of excellent moral character, and that encourages all members of the community to live lives of purpose. The work of the Wendt Character Initiative is centered in the University's Mission and values, a commitment to its Reformed Christian identity, and a sense of creative vocation in faithful response to the Creator.  This Initiative is part of the total educational experience of all University of Dubuque students through curricular and co-curricular programs.  Faculty and staff also participate in the Initiative through special programs during the school year.

A second spring Wendt Lecture, given by Susan D. Emmerich - director of the Creation Care Program at Olivet Nazarene University, will be held on Monday, April 8, in the Stoltz Sports Center.  The title of her remarks will be: When Heaven Meets Earth: Creation Care as a Ministry of Justice, Reconciliation, and Community Transformation.  Her lecture will begin with her award-winning film, When Heaven Meets Earth, which will also be featured at the 2013 Julien Dubuque International Film Festival.