Christine Miller, a professor of communication studies, will deliver the prestigious 2015-16 John C. Livingston Faculty Lecture at 3 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 16, in the University Union, Redwood Room.
And it promises to be lively.
“Several higher-ed innovations I’m going to discuss are characterized as ‘disruptive’ to postsecondary education, so in that spirit, I thought I should be disruptive at the Livingston Lecture,” she says. “I hope it’s engaging and thought-provoking to the campus community.”
Miller plans to introduce dancers, a music video, and a rap battle, and she’s tapped some Sac State students, faculty, and administrators to perform.
The title of her talk is “Higher Education Innovation Meets the Mash-Up.” She’ll explore the four areas where she’s seen vastly different domains coming together to create new approaches to higher education: philosophical, structural, legislative, and pedagogical.
“I’m suggesting that innovations in these areas are similar to the concept of a mash-up in pop culture, and I’ll provide examples and offer my own suggestions for new mash-ups,” she says.
Miller, who arrived at Sacramento State in 1987, specializes in argumentation and rhetoric, with an emphasis on visual communication in her role as an educator.
The roots of the Livingston Lecture date to 1959, when the first Distinguished Faculty Convocation Address was given by John C. “Jack” Livingston, a respected scholar and professor of government from 1954 to 1982. The practice continued for 11 years, with the exception of the 1967-68 academic year, and was discontinued after 1971.
In 1985, the Academic Senate reinstated the faculty address and renamed it in Livingston’s honor. It’s awarded annually to a Sacramento State faculty member who transcends his or her discipline and has a positive effect on the life of the University through teaching, service, or creative and scholarly activities, and who displays a consistent and engaging collegiality and a strong commitment to students throughout their careers at Sacramento State.
“In my nearly 30 years on campus,” Miller says, “I have attended the lecture every time I’ve been able, never dreaming that I would be the featured speaker one day. The list of previous awardees reads like a Who’s Who of faculty I have admired greatly, and I’m incredibly proud to be a part of the legacy established by Jack Livingston.”
The Livingston Lecture is free and open to the public. A reception will follow Miller’s presentation. – Dixie Reid