College Board senior presidential adviser to speak at Outreach NOW Conference
C. Peter Magrath, the senior presidential advisor of the College Board and president emeritus of the National Association of State Universities and Land-Grant Colleges (NASULGC), will speak at The Inn at Virginia Tech and Skelton Conference Center on Wednesday, Sept. 27, 2006 at the second annual Outreach NOW Conference sponsored by Virginia Tech’s Outreach and International Affairs and the Commission on Outreach and International Affairs. This year’s theme is “Inventing the Future through Engagement.”
As past president of three public universities, Magrath brings a broad perspective on higher education to his current job, including a long history of leadership in international education activities. His many national involvements include service in 1992-1993 on the Commission on the Future of the National Science Foundation. More recently Magrath organized the Kellogg Commission on the Future of State and Land-Grant Universities, consisting of 27 present and former presidents of major public universities, to promote an agenda of change and renewal for higher education. He previously served on the Southern Education Foundation’s advisory committee dedicated to promoting educational opportunity for African-American and minority students in the southern states.
The author of numerous books, monographs, and articles on American constitutional law and history, higher education, and international affairs, Magrath has been active on many national higher education commissions, task forces, and committees.
The Sept. 27 program begins with an opening session at 1:00 p.m. at The Inn at Virginia Tech and Skelton Conference Center, followed by the keynote address by Magrath, faculty presentations, exhibits on faculty projects and university outreach programs, an awards ceremony, and a reception.
Faculty will discuss their outreach programs as follows:
• Conev Rumen, Institute of Advanced Learning and Research, will present “Beautiful Gardens---A New Plant Introduction Program for Virginia, Mid-Atlantic, and Beyond.”
• George Glasson, Absalom Phiri, and Ndalapa Mhango, Department of Teaching and Learning, will present a session on “Ecological Sustainability, Indigenous Cultures, and Education in Malawi.”
• Eugene Brown, Mary Kasarda, College of Engineering, and Whitney Edmister, Center for Enhancement Engineering Diversity, will present a session on “Educational Outreach in the College of Engineering.”
• Ed McPherson, Learning Technologies, will discuss “Engagement as a Construct for Empowerment.”
• Patricia Hipkins, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, will focus on “Pesticide Safety Education in Mali, West Africa: Why and How.”
• Kris Lubbs, Department of Teaching and Learning, will discuss “Transformative ESL Teacher Education Through Service-Learning.”
• Pam Herrmann, Career Services, will present information about “The Value of Work-Integrated Learning to Students, Virginia Tech, and the Community Through the Cooperative Education/ Internship Program.”
• Robert Dunay, J. Wheeler, and Robert Schubert , School of Architecture and Design in the College of Architecture and Urban Studies, will focus on Virginia Tech’s award-winning Solar House.
Advance registration on the website is necessary due to limited space.
