ISSUED: 4 November 2014
MEDIA CONTACT: Valerie Owens
SHEPHERDSTOWN, WV — The Scarborough Society presents the first of its lecture series in conjunction with the centennial celebration of Shepherd’s Family and Consumer Sciences on Thursday, November 13 at 7 p.m. in the Scarborough Library Reading Room. The event is open to the public and followed by a reception.
Dr. Kathleen Corpus, chair of the Department of Business Administration and Family and Consumer Sciences, will hold a discussion on the history of FACS at Shepherd, as well as its future as an academic discipline.
The library is displaying a variety of clothing and textiles associated with family and consumer sciences and created by Shepherd’s FACS program throughout the month of November.
“The Scarborough Library is so pleased to focus our first Scarborough Society lecture of the academic year on the centennial anniversary of the Family and Consumer Sciences program at Shepherd University,” said Ann Watson, dean of library.
“So many people do not realize how long-standing and important this academic program has been and still is for our students. I am certain Dr. Corpus is going to provide a fascinating lecture – it’s one people won’t want to miss.”
Shepherd’s family and consumer sciences program was originally established in February 1914 under a home economics curriculum, and Shepherd College Hall, which was erected in 1889, housed the first Department of Domestic Science and Domestic Art. Courses centered around the domestic sciences, with a focus on raising children and making family life more comfortable.
Today the mission of family and consumer sciences is to educate individuals on how to be global stewards when making decisions pertaining to families and consumers. Courses not only include food preparation and textiles, but also cover personal finance, consumer economics, housing, nutrition, diet therapy, and resource management.
Born in Detroit and raised in southern California, Corpus is the oldest of six children and the first college graduate in her family. She earned her bachelor of arts in home economics, a master’s degree in consumer studies, and a Ph.D. in consumer economics. She has served on the faculty at Shepherd University since 2008.
The Scarborough Society, sponsored by the Shepherd University Foundation, serves to support the Shepherd University’s library acquisitions, technology, and programs. Membership is open to all interested supporters of the Scarborough Library. For further information about the lecture series or the Scarborough Society, contact the Shepherd University Foundation at 304-876-5397 or visit www.shepherduniversityfoundation.org.
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