The Together Project, The Free Library of Philadelphia, and The Free Library Foundation are proud to present Finding Belonging: Dr. Vivek Murthy in Conversation with Angela Duckworth
Join the Free Library of Philadelphia for a conversation with Dr. Vivek Murthy, 19th and 21st U.S. Surgeon General and founder of The Together Project, a national initiative to combat the epidemic of loneliness and highlight the power of community to heal it.
Dr. Murthy will be joined by Angela Duckworth, MacArthur Fellow and the Rosa Lee and Egbert Chang Professor at the University of Pennsylvania, for a timely conversation about the human need for connection and belonging in today’s world.
This is one stop on The Together Project’s national listening tour, supported by Knight Foundation as the initiative’s first major philanthropic partner.
Registration is required. Seating is limited.
Dr. Vivek Murthy served as the 19th and 21st Surgeon General of the United States. As Vice Admiral of the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, he commanded a uniformed service of 6,000 public health officers. Following his tenure as Surgeon General, Dr. Murthy founded The Together Project, a national initiative to prioritize social connection and community building in America. As part of this effort, he hosts Staying Human, a podcast and Substack community exploring how we can live truly fulfilling lives—grounded in deep peace, joy, and love—while grappling with a world where powerful forces, especially technology, are edging out the very qualities that make us human: our relationships, our compassion, and our commitment to the common good. Dr. Murthy is the author of the New York Times best-seller “Together: The Healing Power of Human Connection in a Sometimes Lonely World.” His 2025 “Parting Prescription to America,” published as his last act as U.S. Surgeon General, lays out his vision for rebuilding community as the key to health, happiness, and fulfillment.
Angela Duckworth is the Rosa Lee and Egbert Chang Professor at the University of Pennsylvania and faculty co-director of the Penn-Wharton Behavior Change for Good Initiative. A 2013 MacArthur Fellow, Angela has advised the World Bank, NBA and NFL teams, and Fortune 500 CEOs. Prior to her career in research, Angela founded a summer school for underserved children that was profiled as a Harvard Kennedy School case study and, in 2023, celebrated its 30th anniversary. She has also been a McKinsey management consultant and a math and science teacher at public schools in New York City, San Francisco, and Philadelphia. Angela co-founded Character Lab, a nonprofit dedicated to advancing scientific insights that help children thrive.
Because you love the Free Library of Philadelphia, please make a donation when you register for this event to ensure that this series continues to inspire Philadelphians.
All tickets are non-refundable.
The views expressed by the authors and moderators are strictly their own and do not represent the opinions of the Free Library of Philadelphia or its employees.
