Arizona State University welcomed leaders from the University of Virginia’s Moral Ecology Trust (MET) for a Thursday evening dinner that explored shared commitments to character, values, and moral formation across institutions. Hosted by ASU’s Principled Innovation initiative, the gathering brought together faculty, partners, and guests from higher education and beyond to reflect on how moral life is shaped not only by individual choices, but by the cultural, institutional, and relational ecosystems in which character develops. The Moral Ecology Trust convenes leaders across government, business, and civil society to strengthen these ecosystems. This mission closely aligns with ASU’s adoption of Principled Innovation as its ninth design aspiration and flagship framework for character education and formation.
The evening featured keynote reflections from Ryan Olson, founding director of the Moral Ecology Trust, and Angel Adams Parham, associate professor of sociology at the University of Virginia, with a response from ASU University Professor Craig Calhoun. ASU Assistant Vice President for Principled Innovation Dr. Ted Cross provided opening and closing remarks. The speakers examined themes of moral ecology, vocation, imagination, and flourishing, emphasizing how universities can help cultivate the conditions for ethical reflection and purposeful lives. Several MET participants joined ASU leaders the next morning for a panel at the Principled Innovation Fall Convening, extending the conversation to a broader campus dialogue about character in action and the responsibilities of institutions in shaping a flourishing society.