Berea College president to advocate liberal arts in UofL talk

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Liberal arts education delivers the skill set needed for students to adapt nimbly to modern society’s demands, according to Berea College President Lyle Roelofs, who’ll speak on that topic Nov. 12 at the University of Louisville. Roelofs’ free, public talk – “Liberal Arts Education: Think Like You Mean It” -- will begin at 6 p.m. in Bingham Humanities Building’s Room 100 with a reception afterward in Shumaker Research Building’s lobby. He will share his thoughts on the benefits and necessity of a liberal arts education to prepare students through the fundamentals of reasoning, intellectual history, cultural competency, communication and various literacies. His speech is the UofL Phi Beta Kappa lecture; sponsors are UofL's College of Arts and Sciences and the Phi Beta Kappa Association of Kentuckiana, an honor society that fosters academic excellence and promotes education in the liberal arts and sciences. Roelofs joined the central Kentucky college as its ninth president in 2012. He previously had served Colgate University as its interim president, provost, dean of faculty and physics professor and had worked at University of Maryland, Calvin College, Brown University and Haverford College. He earned his master’s and doctoral degrees in physics from University of Maryland and a bachelor’s degree in physics and mathematics from Calvin College. For more information, contact Tracy Heightchew at 502-852-8977 or tracy.heightchew@louisville.edu. ###