Jessica Bacal

Jessica Bacal directs the Wurtele Center for Work and Life at Smith College, an independent women’s college in Massachusetts with students from every state and from 60 countries around the world. Her center’s programs teach leadership skills, life skills, stress reduction and reflection. Bacal asks her students to think about questions like: What is your story? Where have you been and where are you going? What matters to you? What skills will help you to pursue what matters? What do you do if you don’t know the answers? Bacal’s first book, “Mistakes I Made at Work: 25 Influential Women Reflect on What They Got Out of Getting It Wrong” (Plume) emerged from her experiences with students, and from her own steep learning curve as she transitioned into higher education. You’ll find articles about Bacal’s work in Inside Higher Ed, The Huffington Post and on The New York Times blog, “The Choice.” @jessicabacal