APU faculty with stories to tell are sharing their love of adventure, religious studies, music and theater in a series of talks sponsored by the Liberal Studies Department.
Featured speakers are Roman Dial, biology and mathematics professor and lifelong adventurer; Eric Redding, music instructor; Regina Boisclair, religious studies professor; and Steven Hunt, Liberal Studies affiliate faculty and APU writer in residence.
“These presentations showcase the extraordinary lives and careers made possible by a liberal arts education,” said Mei Mei Evans, associate professor of English and series coordinator. “The talks give APU students a chance to see their professors’ wide-ranging accomplishments.”
Dial, a biologist and writer whose outdoor adventures have earned him membership in the New York-based Explorers Club, was featured March 22. At a talk March 29, Redding described similarities between music improvisation and a well-lived life. Taking a request from the audience, he improvised at the keyboard by playing music inspired by the APU travel course to Cuba in December.
Boisclair, who holds the only endowed chair in religious studies in Alaska, is scheduled April 3. She will consider lessons from her life, including time as a student at Ecole Biblique, the world-renown Jerusalem-based center for biblical and archaeological scholars.
“Stories in the Liberal Arts” concludes April 12 when Anchorage-based playwright and director Steven Hunt discusses a life in theater. Hunt is working with APU students and classes through the spring term.