Emory Purpose Project Staff

Ira Bedzow

Director

Ira Bedzow, Ph.D. is the Executive Director of the Emory Purpose Project, an Associate Professor in the Department of Medicine, a core faculty member of Emory's Center for Ethics, a senior fellow in the Center for the Study of Law and Religion, and the unit head of the International Chair in Bioethics at Emory University.

His interests relate to understanding the ethical implications of biotechnology and healthcare policy as well as how organizations can create an ethical culture through values-driven leadership. When it comes to ethical leadership, he tries to show that making a values-driven decision and implementing it effectively consist of different skills and face different challenges. Understanding the difference between asking "what to do" and "how can I act on my values successfully" is key to leadership and organizational success.

Bedzow is also Senior Scholar of the Aspen Center for Social Values, co-director of the Ferencz Institute for Ethics, Human Rights and the Holocaust, and a regular contributor in Forbes. He is also an Orthodox rabbi (yoreh yoreh, yadin yadin).

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Angela Sudu

Senior Program Coordinator

Angela Sudu is the Senior Program Coordinator of the Emory Purpose Project. She joined the Project in its first year of inception and contributes to creating and executing the programs and projects offered in collaboration with partner offices throughout Emory.

She got her start in higher education after a brief exploration of the field of Human Resources, which she decided was not the right fit for her. Her own journey through college and as a young professional was foundational, but it took a lot of personal reflection on her own values and goals following those experiences for her to realize her passion for education and the experiences provided through it. At this point, she joined Emory in 2017 first as an Undergraduate Program Coordinator for Mathematics and Computer Science and then as an Academic Advisor for undergraduate students in Emory College of Arts and Sciences. Her educational background includes a Master of Education in Educational Psychology from the University of Georgia and a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and International Studies from The University of South Florida.

Angela and her spouse, Kyle, live in the Grant Park neighborhood of Atlanta with their two cats, Juniper and Rye. The perennial hosts, neither of them has ever met a stranger and they are always open to a new adventure. They enjoy traveling, hiking, photography, all things food, and spending time with friends and family.

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The Emory Purpose Project grew out of a Student Flourishing Initiative workstream convened by Provost Ravi V. Bellamkonda and consisting of the following members: Ira Bedzow (Co-Facilitator), Ken Keen (Co-Facilitator), Michelle Lampl (Co-Facilitator), Ed Lee (Co-Facilitator), Brandy Hughes (Workstream Manager), Michael Berger, Elizabeth Corrie, Michael Elliott, Robyn Fivush, Gregory McGonigle, Lobsang Tenzin Negi, Lyn Pace, Charles Raison, Scott Rausch, and Jane Yang.