John Wooding, Emeritus Professor of Political Science at the University of Massachusetts Lowell, will discuss leadership lessons from Richard Gregg, a 20th-century American pacifist, and social philosopher. One of the first Americans to study with Mohandas Gandhi in India, he later wrote The Power of Non-Violence, the essential guide to peaceful protest that informed the methods of Martin Luther King, Jr. in the American civil rights movement and inspired many other activists. Gregg’s holistic vision of a peaceful and compassionate world combines nonviolence, environmental sustainability, and simple living.

A political scientist by training, John's major area of research and expertise includes the politics of occupational health and safety and environmental regulation, international political economy, and the politics of developed countries. He has a BS in Economics and International Relations from the London School of Economics and Political Science and a Ph.D. in Political Science from Brandeis University. John has been active in many organizations in Lowell and is currently the President of Mill City Grows, a food justice organization in Lowell.