Over the past 15 years, Viterbo University’s visiting scholar program has featured lecturers from as far away as Russia and Israel. For spring semester this year, though, the university is tapping into a world-class expert in leadership who happens to be homegrown.

Jeff Thompson, M.D., former CEO of Gundersen Health System, will be the visiting scholar for Viterbo’s D.B. Reinhart Institute for Ethics in Leadership. 

“Sometimes we have these resources right in our own community that are amazing,” said Rick Kyte, director of the Reinhart Institute.

“One of the things that makes him unique for us is he’s not coming out of an academic background. He’s coming from professional practice,” Kyte said. “I think this will be very beneficial to our students. That’s the main thing we’re looking for in visiting scholars, people who can help students visualize what they will encounter in their careers. That’s really the key.”

The top five finishers in the annual Health Science Scholarship competition are pictured with Viterbo President Glena Temple.