Miles K. Davis, Linfield College president, will present the keynote address at opening convocation on Friday, Aug. 24, at 9:30 a.m. in the Ted Wilson Gymnasium at Linfield. The talk is entitled “Why we need liberal arts education more than ever.”
Davis is the 20th president of Linfield College, taking up the mantle in July. He has a Ph.D. in human and organizational sciences from The George Washington University, an M.A. in human resource development from Bowie State University and a B.A. in communications from Duquesne University. He was the inaugural chair of the management science department at the Harry F. Byrd Jr. School of Business at Shenandoah University and became the founding director of its Institute for Entrepreneurship. He was named dean in 2012.
Davis is an authority on entrepreneurship whose most recent work focuses on integrity, values and principles in the business world, as well as faith-based entrepreneurship. He helps organizations manage cultural and structural changes, strategic planning, leadership development and strategic growth initiatives.
He is a member of the Society of Leadership Fellows at St. George’s House, an organization based out of Windsor Castle in England that brings together world leaders in a variety of fields to analyze contemporary issues. Davis is also the first college president to come out of The PhD Project, a network that helps members of underrepresented communities attain doctorates and become leaders in higher education.
The lecture is free and open to the public. Convocation is the traditional ceremony that celebrates the beginning of the new academic year. Faculty dress in academic regalia and new faculty members are introduced to the Linfield community. Classes at Linfield begin Monday, Aug. 27.
