Plenary Speaker

We are pleased to have Dr. Robert A. Lue as our 2014 Faculty Retreat plenary speaker. He is the inaugural Richard L. Menschel Faculty Director of the Derek Bok Center for Teaching and Learning, Director of Life Sciences Education and Professor of the Practice of Molecular and Cellular Biology at Harvard University.

Lue is described as “one of Harvard’s foremost leaders in innovative teaching” by Michael Smith, dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences (FAS). As director of life sciences, he has led a complete redesign of the introductory curriculum, creating a committed team of instructor colleagues and some of the largest and most popular courses on campus. As faculty director of the Bok Center, established in 1975 to enhance the quality of undergraduate education and renamed to honor Harvard president emeritus Derek Bok in 1991, Lue is responsible, along with the executive director and staff, for articulating the teaching mission of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences (FAS) and elevating its profile on campus, managing the center’s growth and collaborating with staff to develop programs and courses on innovative pedagogies, course and programmatic assessment, and development of teaching skills among its instructors. In addition, he has a longstanding commitment to interdisciplinary teaching and research.

In an interview, Lue states, “When you look at the national landscape, the traditional mode of lecturing, while still important, is clearly not the only way to teach. Increasingly, faculty members are exploring new ways of using technology and new ways of engaging students. I’ve never seen this level of broad-based interest in creatively rethinking teaching and learning among both faculty and students, so it’s a tremendously exciting time to be in the classroom.”

For background on Lue’s previous work to improve teaching and learning, see this article from the Harvard Magazine archives: "Professor Video"

Contact information for Rob Lue:
Email: lue@harvard.edu
Phone: (617) 495-9924
http://bokcenter.harvard.edu