Trained as a clinical psychologist, Mylien Duong has spent the last 13 years developing and testing psychology-based tools for educational spaces, with an emphasis on tools that are
- Evidence-based
- Easy to implement
- Practical
She has secured over $25 million in grant funding and published over 50 scientific articles and book chapters. Her educational tools have been used by over 100,000 educators across the United States.
She’s interested in how cultures – in big groups and in small ones – can take on a life of their own, and how human needs for belonging and connection have fueled polarization but can also be its antidote.
When she’s not working, you can find her rehabilitating land with her husband in Washington State.
Conference Registration for non-Wake Forest University affiliated attendees: $150
Presentation Proposals Due: January 1, 2025
Presenters will be notified of their status on January 15, 2025.
Theme: The Jubilee Centre for Character and Virtues says human flourishing “requires the acquisition and development of intellectual, moral, and civic virtues, excellence specific to diverse domains of practice or human endeavor, and generic virtues of self-management.”
This conference aims to offer practical strategies for integrating character education across all subject areas, demonstrating how educators can incorporate character to enhance student engagement and connection in their institutions, and encouraging conversations about best practices to support individual and collective flourishing. Please consider attending if you are a student, faculty, or staff member at a medical school, undergraduate institution, community college or secondary school. We welcome counseling and wellbeing professionals, community members, relevant scholars, and all those interested in student wellbeing and flourishing.
Presentation Formats
- Interactive workshops (80 minute)
- Panel sessions (50 minute)
- Poster session
- Facilitated Table Talk
Key Questions to Consider for Submissions
- In a post-pandemic world, how can educators and institutions create environments and experiences that cultivate meaningful peer connections among students?
- What virtues and character strengths lead to students flourishing as medical professionals and how do we cultivate those?
- Which character traits or virtues are required for ethical leadership in the medical field?
- Should professional schools focus on character? Is it too late?
- What role does character play in a medical professional’s identity formation?
- How does the culture of an institution color character or virtue development?
- How do we help students arrive at a definition of character that feels authentic to them?
Inviting submissions for:
- General character education projects and curricular efforts
- Character-infused faculty development
- Efforts focused on increasing equity, inclusion and/or belonging through character development
- Staff and faculty professional development
- Wellbeing or flourishing efforts within the curriculum or co-curricular space
- Assessment practices
Special thanks to the Kern Family Foundation for generously supporting character education at Wake Forest University School of Medicine and making this conference possible.
Contact the Conference Planning Committee via email at officeofeducationalexcellence@wakehealth.edu.