The importance of the arts to STEM fields will be a main theme of a Victorian Institute Conference coming to NC State Oct. 14-15.

This conference, entitled Victorian STEAM (the “A” stands for “arts”), is designed to celebrate and promote interdisciplinary study, underline the importance of the humanities and propose how Victorian studies can help innovate work in present times. It’s the first time NC State has hosted the conference.

“I’m excited to bring this conference here, as this year’s theme shows off what’s special about NC State,” said Paul Fyfe, associate professor of English and one of the coordinators of the event. “We’re not merely a STEM university, we’re a STEAM university, pursuing critical discovery within and across the arts and sciences, engineering and humanities. As a Victorianist, I’m also pleased to help people see the 19th nineteenth century’s role in forging those connections.”

This year’s keynote speaker is Dr. Alison Byerly, president of Lafayette College in Easton, Pennsylvania. Her lecture, “Victorian STEAM to Digital Humanities: Mediations of Art and Technology,” will drive the conference theme home.

“I think our keynote lecture will be especially interesting,” Fyfe said. “Alison Byerly, a scholar in Victorian literature, has a unique perspective on why we need arts and humanities in concert with STEM initiatives.”

The keynote lecture is scheduled for 5 p.m. in Caldwell Hall, Room G107. If you’d like to attend, you can pick up a guest pass at the registration desk outside Caldwell G107. To access the full conference program, click here.

Regular conference sessions in Tompkins Hall are open to the public; however, space is limited so registration is encouraged. The reception and banquet lunch are reserved for paid registrants only.

For more information, click here to visit the conference website.