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.
College Looks to Middle East for Next Partnership
Keuka College President Jorge L. Díaz-Herrera and American University of Science and Technology (AUST) President Madame Hiam Sakr signed a memorandum of understanding in Beruit, Lebanon..
Already a major higher educational player in Southeast Asia, Keuka College appears poised to extend its educational influence to the Middle East.
Keuka President Dr. Jorge L. Díaz-Herrera and Madame Hiam Sakr, president of the American University of Science and Technology (AUST) in Beirut, Lebanon, recently signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) that could lead to collaboration between the two schools.
“I was pleasantly surprised with what I saw,” said Díaz-Herrera. “The city is as beautiful and sophisticated as ever, on the shores of the Mediterranean, full of history and charm, and surrounded by fresh, green mountains. Our faculty and students will enjoy spending time there as exchange scholars.” (more…)
National Medal of Science Recipient to Deliver Fribolin Lecture
Dr. Richard A. Tapia, recipient of the National Medal of Science, the highest honor bestowed by the United States government on scientists and engineers, will deliver the 24th Annual Carl and Fanny Fribolin Lecture Friday, May 4 at Keuka College.
One of the highlights of May Day Weekend, Tapia will speak at 6:30 p.m. in Norton Chapel. It is free and open to the public.
The lecture series carries the names of Geneva resident Carl Fribolin, an emeritus member of the College’s Board of Trustees and recipient of an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree in 2004, and his late wife.
“Richard is very well known for his major academic achievements and contributions to the advancement of mathematics, particularly computational math, but he is also a giant in diversifying these academic fields, that are notoriously lacking in this regard,” said Keuka President Dr. Jorge L. Díaz-Herrera. “He is credited with bringing ethnic minorities and women into computing and related fields in substantial numbers and with great successes at the Ph.D. level. Wide dissemination of successful efforts to address under-representation is featured at his bi-annual conference, the Richard Tapia Celebration of Diversity in Computing Conference, which focuses on showcasing work of excellence in mathematics and computing by minority researchers.”
President Praises Cuomo’s Spending Plan
There is good news for higher education in New York State Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s Executive Budget for 2012-13.
Cuomo’s spending plan call for full funding for the Tuition Assistance Program (TAP), opportunity programs (HEOP, STEP/C-STEP, Liberty Partnerships) and Direct Institutional “Bundy” Aid.
“I commend Gov. Cuomo for recognizing the vital role Keuka College and other colleges and universities play in our state’s economic revival,” said College President Dr. Jorge L. Díaz-Herrera. “I am particularly pleased the governor has retained the maximum $5,000 award available through TAP, an aid program so critical to many of our students realizing their dream of a Keuka degree.”
Other programs Cuomo proposes to fund at last year’s levels include High Needs Nursing ($941,000), Teacher Opportunity Program ($450,000) and Nursing Faculty Loan Forgiveness and Senator Pat McGee Nursing Scholarships ($3.93 million). These programs work respectively to alleviate the nursing and teacher shortages throughout the State.
The State and City Universities were also level-funded, as well as community colleges.
Hanoi Students Join Alumni Ranks
Nineteen Vietnamese students joined the Keuka College alumni ranks as the College held its first graduation ceremony at Vietnam National University (VNU) in Hanoi Sunday, Dec 18.
The graduation was held at the Fortuna Hotel in Hanoi and was attended by top officials from VNU and its International School, including Vice President Nguyen Huu Duc, Rector Professor Do, and Vice Rector Dr. Tu. Keuka President Dr. Jorge Díaz-Herrera and Vice President for the Center for Professional Studies and International Programs Dr. Gary Smith also took part in the ceremony.
“I am honored to preside at this ceremony that recognizes in formal spirit the educational accomplishment and personal growth of students who have completed, in partnership with the International School at VNU, Keuka College’s Bachelor of Science degree in management,” said Díaz-Herrera. (more…)
The Ethical Fork in the Road
Dr. Albert J. Simone.
Referring to the “constant parade of stories describing violations of individual and institutional integrity,” former RIT President Dr. Albert J. Simone today (Dec. 11) said the individuals involved “took the wrong branch when they came to their ethical fork in the road.”
“I am sure there are many more individuals who took the proper branch; unfortunately, we do not hear very much about these individuals,” added Simone, who spoke at Keuka College’s mid-year conferral of degrees. “The individuals who took the wrong branch are newsworthy and that is what the media tend to highlight.”
Simone assumed the graduates had come to this fork in the road “several times already” and during the course of their lives and careers will come to it “numerous times. (more…)
Cover Story: A Man of Many Talents
“His expertise in computing, combined with his passion for music and his international background, is a robust ‘soup’ that exemplifies the important balance between a liberal education and a strong discipline.” — Dr. Jeremy Haefner, provost and senior vice president for academic affairs, RIT
Jorge Díaz-Herrera’s mother knew her son could handle first grade, and she wasn’t going to let an age requirement or piece of furniture prevent him from attending.
“I could read and write, but there wasn’t any room at the school and you had to be 7 to enter first grade; I was 6 1/2,” recalls Díaz-Herrera, who grew up in the Venezuelan city of Barquisimeto, located in the foothills of the Andes Mountains. “My mother talked to the teacher, who was a friend of the family, and she said that if I brought my own chair, they would take me as an auditing student.”
So, little Jorge Luis trudged off to school, chair in tow.
“It was only three blocks but it looked like 30,” he recalled.
But he made it and did so well that “before the year was over, they admitted me and I sailed through sixth grade passing ‘eximido’—exempted from taking finals every year.” (more…)
YUFE Marks 60th Anniversary
YUFE President Xiong Shuxin (l) receives a gift from Keuka President Dr. Jorge Díaz-Herrera and Vice President for the Center for Professional Studies Gary Smith.
One of Keuka College’s four partner universities in China—Yunnan University of Finance and Economics (YUFE)— recently marked its 60th anniversary.
Keuka President Dr. Jorge L. Díaz-Herrera, Vice President for the Center for Professional Studies Dr. Gary Smith, and Administrative Chancellor for China Campuses Dr. Michael Hwang were on hand for the celebration.
“It was a great opportunity for us to show our commitment to this relationship,” said Smith.
Jorge Díaz-Herrera; John Dai, CEO of TEI, Australia; Michael Hwang; Prof. Simon Jarvis, vice president of the University of Greenwich; and Gary Smith.
As part of the celebration, President Díaz-Herrera delivered a presentation on “Global Learning and Exploration: A Reality.”
“The internationalization of education is today an institutional imperative,” said the president. “Today’s graduates need skills that allow them to be resilient and agile, global, and cross-functional capable.”
Díaz-Herrera said a global higher education ecosystem was needed to provide all students “global intelligence,” and key components of that ecosystems are study and work abroad exchanges.
“That will help prepare graduates for success in a global society,” he said.
Academic Convocation Aug. 30
The Class of 2015 will be officially welcomed to the Keuka College campus Tuesday, Aug. 30 at academic convocation.
The ceremony begins at 4:15 p.m. in Norton Chapel.
It will be the first academic convocation for Dr. Jorge L. Díaz-Herrera, who became Keuka’s 19th president July 1.
In addition to the president, Assistant Professor of Accounting Rita Gow, the 2010-11 Professor of the Year, will address the new students as will Melissa Moore Brown, a 1972 Keuka graduate and chair of the Board of Trustees.
Fall semester classes get under way Monday, Aug. 29.
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