Gould Gives Opening Keynote at Iowa Ideas Conference

David Gould, visiting associate professor, gave the opening keynote address at the Iowa Ideas 2021 Conference. The conference took place virtually on October 14 and 15. The topic of his remarks was How to Live a Consequential Life. Gould summarizes his address here, "As we slowly emerge from the pandemic fog, identifying direction for our lives will be crucial. What role does design, story, and the wisdom of our elders play in the process, and how can this realization help us fashion the world we want to live in?"

For over a decade, Gould has focused his work on reimagining higher education, and has created a number of distinctive university courses concentrated on issues of meaning and community engagement, one of them being his very popular Life Design class. Over the last decade, graduating seniors at the University of Iowa have recognized him as one of the top faculty “who has had a positive effect on their life." Gould was awarded the 2020 Honors Teaching Award and 2019 David J. Skorton Staff Excellence Award in Service to The University of Iowa.

Iowa Ideas was launched by The Gazette in the fall of 2016, as an inclusive gathering of Iowans to explore and discuss issues impacting the state. It includes nine tracks representing key topics in Iowa: community development; education; energy and environment; human and social services; infrastructure; policy; workforce; and diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Gould's and others' remarks can be seen here.