Philosophy professor Rosa Mayorga participates in Oxford diversity seminar
Rosa Mayorga, assistant professor of philosophy in the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences at Virginia Tech, was invited to present her paper “On a Peircean Approach to Issues of Diversity” at the Oxford Round Table on Diversity in Society this month.
Mayorga is participating with an interdisciplinary group of academicians, government ministers, legislators, and corporate business leaders, in a collegial “think-tank” atmosphere in order to engage in discussions of public policy pertaining to diversity that affect nations worldwide.
The Oxford Round Table convened in Oxford, England for the first time in 1989 to consider major issues in contemporary educational policy in the United States, the United Kingdom and other selected countries. The membership of this meeting was limited to Ministers of Education from several nations and a number of governors from the United States. Based on this experience and the associated initiatives, the participants of the Oxford Round Table recommended further meetings to continue to examine educational issues at both the national and international levels.
The purpose of the round table is to promote human advancement and understanding through the improvement of education. To this end, it provides a forum for the study and consideration of current issues facing state and national systems of education. The Round Table meets periodically and is comprised of a small select group of leaders from both the public and private sectors of several countries.
Mayorga's academic interests lie in the general area of metaphysics. She especially enjoys medieval and ancient philosophies because of their preoccupation with metaphysical issues. Philosophy of mind, theology, and ethics are of particular interest to her, as well as the history of philosophy.
Mayorga was born in Santiago de Cuba, Cuba, and came to the United States as a political refugee with her sister when she was a child. Her parents followed a year later. She grew up in Royal Oak, Mich. and attended the first two years of college at the University of Michigan. Her family then moved to Miami, where she completed her bachelor’s degree and Ph.D. at the University of Miami.
The College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences embraces the arts, humanities, social and human sciences, and education. The college nurtures intellect and spirit, enlightens decision-making, inspires positive change, and improves the quality of life for people of all ages. It is home to the departments of apparel, housing and resource management, communication, educational leadership and policy studies, English, foreign languages and literatures, history; human development, interdisciplinary studies, music, philosophy, political science, ROTC, science and technology in society, sociology, teaching and learning, and theatre arts.
