Rev. Marlowe Washington to Deliver Baccalaureate Address
The Rev. Marlowe V.N. Washington, pastor of Christ Community Church in Rochester and a social justice and human rights advocate, will deliver the baccalaureate address at Keuka College Sunday, May 27.
One of the College’s commencement day traditions, baccalaureate begins at 9:30 p.m. in Norton Chapel.
Born in the Bronx, N.Y., Washington earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science from St. Francis College in Brooklyn. He attended Princeton Theological Seminary in New Jersey, but received a Master of Divinity degree from New York Theological Seminary in Manhattan. (more…)
Barbara Miller to Receive Honorary Degree
Fifty-six years after earning her first Keuka College degree, Barbara Miller will receive another at the College’s 104th commencement Sunday, May 27.
This time, Miller will be awarded an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree.
It will mark the third time she has been honored by her alma mater since graduating in 1956. Miller received the Keuka College Alumni Association’s Professional Achievement Award in 1974 and its Effective Use of Retirement Award in 2009. (more…)
Inauguration an International Affair
Dr. Nguyen Trong Do, rector, Vietnam National University—International School, Hanoi.
The inauguration of Dr. Jorge L. Díaz-Herrera as Keuka College’s 19th president May 4 was truly an international affair.
Delegates and guests from a number of foreign countries traveled to Keuka Park for the ceremony including Madame Hiam Sakr, president of the American University of Science and Technology (AUST) in Beirut, Lebanon.
“I was honored that Madame Sakr and Dr. Nabeel Haidar, vice president for academic affairs at AUST, joined us for the celebration,” said Díaz-Herrera. “I am particularly pleased to have the pleasure of welcoming Madame president to Keuka Park and the Lucina, where she was the guest of honor at a small, family-oriented reception. In a short time, I have developed a real affinity for her school and Lebanon; quite simply, Beirut is a most enchanting place.” (more…)
“Fired Up” President Outlines Vision at Inauguration
Saying that “we are obliged to reconsider a liberal arts education in a digital, connected world,” Keuka College President Jorge L. Díaz-Herrera today (May 4) set the College on a path to become “the cradle for the next generation of scientists and humanists.”
In remarks after being invested as the College’s 19th president, Dr. Díaz-Herrera encouraged the faculty of this “great institution to create the liberal arts curriculum for the 21st century.
See what President Díaz-Herrera had to say about his inauguration.
“What if we were to integrate computational methods seamlessly across the curriculum?” said the president, a native of Barquisimeto, Venezuela. “What if we were to produce criminal justice experts who solved cybercrime, nurses proficient in medical informatics, and English majors fluent in digital storytelling?”
Reaffirming the College’s historical commitment to the liberal arts, the president disagreed with those who question the value of a liberal arts education because graduates can’t find jobs.
Watch the full inauguration
“A liberal arts education provides its own rewards and combined with our Field Period innovation is a superb preparation for the world of work and service,” he said. “A liberal arts foundation is good for the economy and for democracy.”
Even highly technical jobs require a high degree of intellectual skills and contextual understanding, said the president, who pointed to Google, which is hiring 6,000 new employees this year, 5,000 from the liberal arts or humanities.
Dr. Melissa Brown '72, chair of the Board of Trustees, invests Dr. Jorge L. Díaz-Herrera as the 19th president of Keuka College.
“As the late Steve Jobs said, ‘Technical skills are not enough,’” said Díaz-Herrera, contrasting what Daniel Pink, chief speechwriter for former Vice President Al Gore, calls conceptual workers vs. knowledge workers. “Conceptual workers are anchored in the liberal arts—strong in science, math, and humanities, plus technology.”
An education with a liberal arts base “allows us to be able to address difficult, global, complex issues by allowing us to place this knowledge in context without compartmentalization,” said Díaz-Herrera. “This is an education that unique places like Keuka can provide, and it’s one of the reasons that drew me to the job.”
Although the president has spent a good deal of time “ascertaining the hopes, dreams, and concerns” of the College community, he also spearheaded a campus-wide, long-range strategic planning effort. One of the first outcomes of that work is a new mission statement:
Keuka College exists to create citizens and leaders to serve the world in the 21st century.
Among the many topics being discussed during the on-going strategic planning process is the arts.
“We must bring the arts back to Keuka College,” said the president. “Conversations are under way with the Eastman School of Music to see what we can do together. Another exciting project is the potential reviving of the Sampson Theatre in downtown Penn Yan. We should be part of this effort and also participate wholeheartedly in the Penn Yan 20/20 planning effort. The Finger Lakes Museum is another project that plays in this arena.”
Díaz-Herrera pledged to “enthusiastically give my full dedication to the College in the only way I know: with passion and firmness. You can be sure that I will put my heart and soul toward moving this institution to the next level.”
But the president said a team effort is required to reach that level.
“Resilient academic institutions succeed because their faculty, staff, students, and friends are strongly committed to them,” he said. “I will need your total commitment, and I will work hard on building confidence and trust to achieve the solidarity needed to address difficult and changing times.”
In the discussions he has had with members of the College community during his 10 months on the job, Díaz-Herrera said one thing resonates loud and clear.
“Our community is passionate about this place,” he said, “and I must confess that the enthusiasm is contagious. I am fired up!”
To view a brief album of photos from the Inauguration, click HERE.
Joyce Cohen to Deliver Commencement Address
Joyce Cohen, a 1967 graduate of Keuka College and a leading figure in the field of career development and life planning for more than 25 years, will deliver the commencement address at her alma mater Sunday, May 27.
Keuka’s 104th commencement will begin at 12:30 p.m. on the Norton Chapel lawn.
Founder and president of Unconventional Wisdom LLC, a life planning consulting agency, Cohen is an experienced consultant, workshop facilitator, life coach, outplacement counselor, and creator of updated credentials. She has worked with more than 350 companies, universities, and government agencies in this country and abroad. (more…)
The Cream of the Experiential Learning Crop
Keuka's Class of 2012 Experiential Learner of the Year nominees are flanked by Eva Noberg-Sarver, interim Field Period counselor, and President Jorge L. Diaz-Herrera. The nominees, from left: Junelle King, Sarah Marquart, Kelsey Marquart, Lelia Torres, and Kelsey Tebo. Missing from photo: : Jenna Chapman.
Editor’s Note: The 2012 Experiential Learner of the Year award nominees were recognized at an April 27 luncheon. The freshman and upperclass winners will be announced at Honors Convocation, Saturday, May 5. Here is a capsule look at the nominees:
Jenna Chapman
Jenna Chapman of Gorham was nominated by Professor of Communication Anita Chirco for a combination of personal and professional experiences that enabled the junior organizational communication major to “move herself beyond her comfort zone.”
Professionally, Chapman has conducted internships with the Finger Lakes Thoroughbred Adoption Program and Lollypop Farm, where she promoted the welfare of animals. Her personal service to the community also includes a role as founder and president of Keuka’s Equestrian Club.
This January, Chapman conducted a two-part Field Period, assisting the manager of a Canandaigua restaurant, Peppers Deli and Pastas, with several marketing initiatives. She also conducted an internship at Buffalo Spree Publishing.
At Peppers, Chapman helped design coupons for a menu-mailer to drum up local business, created flyers for the new owner, and built a Facebook page for the restaurant, and launched a “like our page” promotion. At Buffalo Spree Publishing, she worked on revisions and fact-checking for the annual Performing Arts Guide handbook and wrote feature articles for the company’s Forever Young publication for those ages 50 and up, and for the mainstay publication, Buffalo Spree magazine. (more…)
A Lot in Common
You can add Keuka College to the growing list of colleges and universities that use the Common Application.
Dr. Gary Smith, vice president of the Center for Professional Studies and International Programs.
The Common Application is used for undergraduate admissions by more than 490 colleges and universities. It appeals to students who apply to multiple schools, said Dr. Gary Smith, vice president of the Center for Professional Studies and International Programs.
“The Common Application will allow students to apply to Keuka in a more simple and convenient way,” said Smith. “Given the complexities of searching for the right school and then filling out a variety of applications, we believe that the Common Application will streamline this process for those students interested in Keuka College.” (more…)
A Degree, not Debt
Total college student loan debt in the United States recently eclipsed the $1 trillion mark.
Keuka College President Jorge L. Díaz-Herrera.
Keuka College students aren’t immune from paying their student loans after graduation, but the College works hard to ensure they aren’t saddled with mountains of debt. In fact, U.S. News & World Report consistently ranks Keuka College in the top 5 in its category for students graduating with the lowest debt loads.
A Keuka education, according to President Jorge L. Díaz-Herrera, directly results in its graduates being well-prepared for successful and productive lives without the burden of excessive debt. (more…)
A Less Taxing Experience
Associate Professor of Accounting Rita Gow helps Yang Liu, a resident of Bengbu, China, prepare and file his income tax.
April 17 was a day many Americans circled on their calendars.
And not because they were looking forward to it.
April 17 was tax day.
“Imagine how most people feel about doing their own tax returns,” said Rita Gow, associate professor of accounting. “Now, imagine if you are a student from China, Vietnam, or South Africa and totally unfamiliar with the American tax structure or not familiar with the concept of taxing your income.”
A daunting task to be sure—unless you were one of the nine international students attending Keuka College who, thanks to a collaboration between Gow, the Center for Global Education, and AARP Foundation Tax-Aide, didn’t have to sweat April 17. (more…)
The Bard: A Reader’s Digest Version
By Amanda Harrison ’12
Shakespearean actor and author Tim Mooney will bring his one-man show Lot ’o Shakespeare to Keuka College Wednesday, April 25.
The next offering in the Spotlight Series, the show begins at 7:30 p.m. in the Red Barn Theater and is free and open to the public.
Mooney will perform a single monologue from each Shakespeare play, with the order determined by chance.
Lot ’o Shakespeare “takes highbrow art and mixes it with lowbrow fun,” said Matthew J. Palm of the Orlando Sentinel. “Mooney is an engaging presence and can switch from indignation in Comedy of Errors, to earnest in a love sonnet, to comical Malvolio in Twelfth Night. He may not be as physically imposing as some actors to play Henry V, but his St. Crispen’s Day speech made me want to take up arms with him.”
Chaim Eliyahu of KCStage.com called Lot o’ Shakespeare “a tour de force comprising no fewer than 19 Shakespeare scenes and sonnets. Mooney’s interpretations were outstanding, and not infrequently cast new light on obscure corners of Shakespeare’s work.”
Mooney has also garnered rave reviews for Moliere Than Thou, another one-man show. He is the author of an acting textbook titled Acting at the Speed of Life; Conquering Theatrical Style.
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