Sen. Bill Bradley speaks to class on contemporary U.S. workplace

Former U.S. Senator and NBA star Bill Bradley was in Seattle last month to address students enrolled in the innovative course, "The Contemporary U.S. Workplace: Social Welfare and Efficiency in Firm-Employee Relations." The course, a joint project by the UW Business School and the UW School of Social Work, challenges students from various disciplines to explore both the practicalities and ethics of embracing business practices that balance profits with the needs of employees and the community.

Howard Behar, the former president of Starbucks' North American Operations, helped create the concept for the class and fund it for three years with a gift of $250,000 from he and his wife Lynn. Howard attended the University of Washington, and Lynn is a graduate of the UW School of Social Work.

Senator Bradley also addressed a breakfast meeting attended by students, faculty and UW President Mark Emmert, in which he spoke about his new book, The New American Story, and his thoughts on the need for both business and government to focus their efforts more effectively on meeting the many challenges our nation faces today.

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