NATIONALLY CELEBRATED EDUCATOR, RICHARD LIGHT, TO SPEAK AT CU
One of the nation’s most celebrated educators, Harvard professor Richard J. Light will discuss his research about making colleges more effective learning environments when he leads an upcoming symposium at Cornell.
Light’s address, entitled “Strengthening Communication Between Graduate Students/Post Docs and Faculty at Cornell,” is scheduled for Thursday, January 18, 2007. The event, cosponsored by the Center for Learning and Teaching, the Graduate School and the Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education, will feature a keynote address in the morning and breakout sessions in the afternoon.
“Dick Light’s visit to Cornell is a wonderful opportunity to meet and talk first-hand with an individual whose work has enormous importance for the future of higher education,” said Helene Selco, Director of Cornell’s Center for Learning and Teaching.
A Professor of Education at the Graduate School of Education at Harvard, Light teaches statistics and program evaluation, with a special focus on programs in education. Light is currently the director of the Seminar on Assessment, a consortium that brings together faculty and senior administrators from twenty-four colleges and universities to carry out research on college effectiveness. The seminar encourages a variety of innovations to strengthen teaching, learning and the overall college experience for students.
“Richard Light is full of passion for his work on understanding undergraduates’ needs and helping educators understand the complex sets of data he has collected on the undergraduate learning experience,” said David Way, Director of Instructional Support at the Center for Learning and Teaching.
Light is nationally recognized for his projects that benefit college students both inside and outside the classroom. Among many other distinctions Light recently won the Stone Award for Making the Most of College, which was voted the best book on education and society. He has served as president of the American Evaluation Association, chair of the Panel on Programs for Youth for the National Academy of Sciences, and a member of the National Advisory Board for the Program Evaluation Division of the U.S. General Accounting Office.
“The upcoming symposium represents truly collaborative effort that stands to benefit the entire Cornell community,” said Richard Kiely, Director of Career Development Services at the Graduate School. “This is great way to kick off the New Year.”
Admission to the day’s events, to be held at the Call and Statler auditoriums, is free. For more information the Center for Learning and Teaching’s Web site, www.clt.cornell.edu. RSVPs for the afternoon breakout sessions are appreciated. To RSVP email [email protected] or call 607-255-6310.
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Richard Light Itinerary:
Thursday, January 18, 2007
9:00 – 10:30 a.m. Keynote address Call Auditorium, Kennedy Hall
1:30 – 2:30 p.m. Break-out sessions Yale/Princeton Room, Statler Hotel
• Effective communication across culture and diversity
• Negotiating adviser-advisee relationships and expectations
• Working with different teaching and learning styles to enhance learning
2:30 – 3:30 p.m. Plenary session Yale/Princeton Room, Statler Hotel
• Break-out session observations & dialogue on teaching & learning with Richard Light