Humanities Topics Keep Alumni Learning
The prime time lineup of social and professional development programs has expanded with the fall launch of the Bentley Alumni Series in the Humanities.
The series tunes in to alumni on a new level, bringing grads together with faculty and students to discuss topics of broad humanistic interest. It’s an intellectual focus that many are looking for, says Katie (Penn) Lampley ’96.
“You don’t stop learning when you leave Bentley, and it’s important to keep that community of learning alive,” says Lampley, who helped plan the series. “We have a lot of networking and career events, but there’s an opportunity to engage with alumni on an academic level as well. The new series provides that venue.”
Terms of Engagement
Sponsored by the Jeanne and Dan Valente Center for Arts and Sciences, sessions open with either a short film or a presentation by a faculty member with expertise on the featured topic. Informal discussion follows.
Chris Beneke, director of the Valente Center, says that the series extends to alumni a philosophy ingrained in Bentley academics.
“We’ve long prided ourselves on engaging future business professionals, who may not be History, Philosophy or English majors, but who are nonetheless keen observers of the larger world around them,” says Beneke, an associate professor of history. “The Bentley Alumni Series in the Humanities continues that tradition. It offers accessible and stimulating discussion of important scholarly issues to alums as well as to students.”
The alumni committee for the program is Lampley, Owen Bacewicz ’09, Lindsay Konte ’08, Michael Ginzburg ’07 and Stephanie Haddad ’07.
Tapping the Talent Pool
The program originated with Cyrus Veeser, associate professor of history and former director of the Valente Center. A planning committee of faculty and young alumni identified topics that would reach a broad audience. For 2009-2010, the series focuses on the workings of the human mind, examining their impact on a person’s understanding of the world and decision-making.
“The beauty of a program like this is that we have such a talented pool of faculty to tap into,” notes Lampley, who served on the planning committee. “The breadth and depth of research being done — particularly on the liberal arts side of the house — may surprise some alumni.”
Though the scholarship is remarkably diverse, the scholars themselves have much in common. As Beneke observes: “Our faculty share an enthusiasm for learning, and for reaching out beyond the classroom.”