Current Liberal Arts students will have the opportunity to interact with former students at the annual Liberal Arts CONNECT Conference on Friday and Saturday.
Friday’s Fallon-Marshall lecture, by Randy Kluver, associate professor of communication, will kick off the event at 3 p.m. Kluver will talk about the geopolitics of new media and how social media influences political movements. Afterward, students will have an opportunity to network at the reception in the MSC Stark Galleries.
Kimberly White, communications coordinator for the College of Liberal Arts, said the CONNECT Conference provides a way for Liberal Arts students to network.
On Saturday, CONNECT Conference goers will listen to speeches from Liberal Arts professors including Kristan Poirot, Li Gan and Felipe Hinojosa. Most module speeches will cover modern-day issues, such as income inequality on a global scale.
“CONNECT really ties into that by having some of the modules talk about different areas of the world. Former students and alumni of the college are having impacts across the world, we certainly want to encourage that,” White said.
An interactive panel will take place in the Interdisciplinary Sciences Building auditorium on Saturday, giving students the opportunity to ask questions to a faculty board.
“The speaker panel is an opportunity for us to showcase our outstanding faculty while demonstrating the impact of the liberal arts within our society,” White said.
The conference concludes Saturday at 6:30 p.m. with a reception and pre-registered dinner, where professor John McDermott will receive the College of Liberal Arts Distinguished Service Award.
Although registration for the specialized dinner and breakfast ended a week ago, White still encourages students to attend the lectures, which are open to the public.
“We would like students to come because it’s an opportunity for them to interact with former students and faculty and friends of the college,” White said. “We’re trying to encourage lifelong learning, and taking advantage of educational experiences.”
