{"689759":{"#nid":"689759","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Ivan Allen College to Help Co-Found Liberal Arts Network","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech\u2019s Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts and several other programs will form a network for liberal arts units embedded within technological universities following an IAC-led gathering in Atlanta.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELiberal arts leaders from universities including the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Virginia Tech traveled to Atlanta to meet with IAC Dean Amanda Murdie and Associate Dean Richard Utz to discuss shared challenges and opportunities.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThey left with a decision to form a dynamic network to explore potential areas for collaboration and advocacy.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cI think this is our era and our time,\u201d said Murdie.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe group will continue to explore how they can best collaborate to further liberal arts education and research at tech-oriented schools such as their own. They plan to meet again at Georgia Tech in the Fall and at one of the other member schools again in the Spring.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003ERepresentatives of Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Missouri University of Science \u0026amp; Technology, Tecnol\u00f3gico de Monterrey, SUNY Polytechnic Institute, Wentworth Institute of Technology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and Kettering University attended.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe wide-ranging discussions highlighted the differences in how liberal arts is presented and perceived at STEM-intensive institutions.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cLiberal arts on a technological campus is a different experience than those lived by our colleagues at traditional institutions,\u201d said Utz, senior associate dean for strategic initiatives, who organized the event. \u201cThis conversation brought home just how much we have to gain by working together.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe talks also revealed many similarities, such as innovative programs that marry tech and humanities in ways that benefit both pursuits.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe all have a strong story to tell about how liberal arts students at these kinds of institutions learn and most importantly what they do once they graduate. In Georgia Tech\u2019s case, at least, that means they often go on to get a better-paying job than their peers at more traditional liberal arts programs,\u201d said Murdie.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/iac.gatech.edu\/advantage\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ELearn more about the Ivan Allen Advantage\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe participants highlighted the necessity of a humanistic education in a technological age, and the opportunity to serve as a cornerstone of an AI-ready workforce.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022We need to make sure that we have a value proposition that not only resonates with students\u2026 but also meets the needs of society,\u201d said Augustin Rayo, dean of MIT\u2019s School of Humanities and Social Sciences. \u0022This is one of those moments in history where it\u0027s very clear the technology on itself is not enough to take us in the right direction.\u0022\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMurdie noted some of the most durable skills employers say they wish more potential employees possess include communication and critical thinking skills.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThose skills are coming from the liberal arts,\u201d she said.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts will join several other programs in forming a network for liberal arts units embedded within technological universities.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"The Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts will join several other programs in forming a network for liberal arts units embedded within technological universities."}],"uid":"34600","created_gmt":"2026-04-15 15:16:10","changed_gmt":"2026-04-15 15:49:33","author":"mpearson34","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-04-15T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-04-15T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679958":{"id":"679958","type":"image","title":"Liberal Arts Association Meeting","body":"\u003Cp\u003EIvan Allen College of Liberal Arts Dean Amanda Murdie, center back, presents to liberal arts leaders from around the country during a meeting to discuss the possible formation of a network of liberal arts units embedded within technological universities.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1776267952","gmt_created":"2026-04-15 15:45:52","changed":"1776267952","gmt_changed":"2026-04-15 15:45:52","alt":"People sitting around a conference table listen to a presentation. A presentation slide reads, \u0022Technology creates possibilities. The liberal arts turns those possibilities into impact.\u0022","file":{"fid":"264183","name":"PXL_20260410_181507371.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/15\/PXL_20260410_181507371_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/15\/PXL_20260410_181507371_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":2055723,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/04\/15\/PXL_20260410_181507371_0.jpg?itok=KmFRh8ie"}}},"media_ids":["679958"],"groups":[{"id":"1281","name":"Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:michael.pearson@iac.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EMichael Pearson\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EIvan Allen College of Liberal Arts\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}