Friends,
Despite the ominous headlines, we’re living in thrilling times. Like many of you, I was deeply moved as I watched this country, on Monday, celebrate what would have been Martin Luther King, Jr.’s 80th birthday and, on Tuesday, inaugurate the first African-American president of the United States, Barack Obama. It’s easy, lately, to be discouraged when you turn on the television but it’s equally easy to be uplifted by a monumental sense of hope.
On the University of Richmond’s campus, that sense of hope has manifested itself in a new strategic plan, The Richmond Promise. A little over a week ago, the plan was endorsed by the University’s Board of Trustees. The plan has five principles, which focus on academics, diversity, access and affordability, community engagement and enhancement of the student experience. This document has been a year and a half in the making and its goals reflect the goals of everyone who is, or has ever been, a part of this University.
Now the real work begins. Over the coming months, the School of Arts & Sciences will be hard at work weaving the tenants of this plan into the work we already do, ensuring that the liberal arts education you received here at Richmond continues to be students’ best preparation for the real world, regardless of the changing times.
Best,
Andy Newcomb
Dean, School of Arts & Sciences
University of Richmond
Professors’ Tennessee Williams production wins big in Russia
Professor Walter Schoen has spent over 25 years working in the theatre but it’s only been in recent years that he’s found himself directing classic American dramas in formerly Soviet towns with names like Samara and Saratov. (more)
MIT professor Timothy M. Swager gives 2009 Powell Lecture Feb. 6
This year’s Powell lecturer is Timothy M. Swager, head of the Department of Chemistry at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and he will give a talk, “Polymer Electronics for Chemical and Biological Sensors.” (more)
Journalism professor examines preservation in the Galapagos
In mid-March last year, Raquel Molina, the director of the Galapagos National Park, was fired after only two years on the job. That same week, University of Richmond journalism professor Steve Nash was in the Galapagos Islands with his family on vacation. (more)
Conversations with Chris Hansen, Dateline NBC Correspondent: Beyond “To Catch a Predator” Feb. 9
Honored with seven Emmy Awards for his investigative reporting, Dateline NBC correspondent Chris Hansen talks about his varied career. (more)
Class programs with a purpose for One Laptop per Child
Students in computer science professor Lewis Barnett’s software engineering class designed software for the XO laptop, a rugged, low-cost, low-power machine built specifically for educational purposes, designed for school-aged children living in remote environments of developing countries. (more)
Irish poet Vona Groarke reads from her work as part of the Writers’ Series Feb. 19
One of Ireland’s most prominent young poets, Vona Groarke has published four books of poetry and has received numerous prizes for her work. (more)
Madé Sidia presents traditional Indonesian shadow theatre Feb. 21
Visiting artist-scholar Madé Sidia will present an afternoon of Balinese shadow theatre with live traditional music accompaniment. Sidia is a renowned choreographer and puppeteer who has toured internationally. (more)
