Christine Whelan

Dr. Christine Whelan serves as an Adjunct Associate Professor at Emory University, where she is known as the 'Purpose Professor' leading the Emory Purpose Project initiated by Provost Ravi Bellamkonda in 2022. She also holds a fellowship at the Center for Healthy Minds at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where she is recognized as the 'happy professor.' Her work integrates purpose interventions for first-year students through the Health 100 course and leads Purpose Advances with funding from the Unlikely Collaborators Foundation.

Dr. Whelan earned her degrees from Princeton University and the University of Oxford. Her academic journey reflects her motto from Seneca: 'not for school but for life we learn,' which guides her practical approach to translating research into everyday applications.

Her research focuses on purpose, well-being, and personal definitions of success across the life course. She examines how individuals can cultivate purpose to improve health, relationships, and overall life satisfaction. Her work bridges academic research with actionable strategies for navigating life transitions, financial well-being, and relationship challenges. She approaches purpose as a verb rather than a noun, emphasizing daily actions that align with personal values to create meaningful impact.

Her publications reveal a consistent trajectory from relationship studies to broader purpose and well-being research. Beginning with marriage dynamics in 2006, she evolved toward examining generational challenges (2011), comprehensive purpose frameworks (2016), and finally creating accessible purpose interventions (2021). Her work consistently connects academic research with practical applications for everyday life.

• USA Today Bestseller for 'Finding Your Purpose'
• Recognized as 'the happy professor' at University of Wisconsin-Madison

Dr. Whelan actively translates academic research into real-world applications through speaking engagements, consulting, and media appearances. She has worked with organizations including the Milken Center for Advancing the American Dream, the DeBruce Foundation, AARP's Life Reimagined, Jackson National, and Hackensack-Meridian Health. She serves on the board of SEEK Safely as an advocate for research-based self-help advice. Her consulting work focuses on helping organizations transform purpose from a static statement into actionable culture drivers that impact employee engagement and organizational results.

Through the Emory Purpose Project and her fellowship at UW-Madison's Center for Healthy Minds, Dr. Whelan leads initiatives that create environments where individuals and organizations can cultivate purposeful living. Her Dream Bank Purpose Academy offers structured programs for personal purpose development, while her corporate consulting helps organizations implement purpose-driven strategies that enhance employee well-being and performance.