President Patrick Deane welcomed Lawrence Scanlan, author of A Year of Living Generously: Dispatches from the Front Lines of Philanthropy, to the University Wednesday.

The writer was on campus to launch the Common Reading Program.

A Year of Living Generously: Dispatches from the Front Lines of Philanthropy is this year’s Common Reading Program selection. The novel is an exploration of Scanlan’s discovery of what it means to find himself in the service to others.

Over the course of a year, Scanlan gave one month of his time to 12 different charitable organizations in order to “get his hands” dirty” and discover answers to some important questions.

Students in the reading program had the opportunity to discuss the book and have it signed by Scanlan.

More than 900 students are registered in the Common Reading Program.