Patrick Faverty, a faculty member in the Department of Education of UC Santa Barbara’s Gevirtz School, will be a participant in a UCSB Reads panel discussion at the Solvang Public Library, 1745 Mission Drive, Solvang on February 28 at 6 pm. This free event is one is several such discussions in the Santa Barbara County community sponsored by the UC Libraries as part of UCSB Reads. This year’s program features the Joshua Foer New York Times best-seller Moonwalking with Einstein: The Art and Science of Remembering Everything. Joining Faverty on this panel will be Cheryl Jaworski (UCSB English), and Alan R. Hersh (MD, Sansum Country Clinic).
Now in its seventh year, UCSB Reads is an award-winning event that brings the campus and Santa Barbara community together in a common reading experience. Selections for UCSB Reads engage readers in intellectually stimulating dialogue about important issues of our time. A variety of UCSB Reads events, including faculty panels, book clubs, and exhibits, will take place throughout the winter quarter – on campus, at local public libraries, and at other local venues. These will culminate in a special free talk by the Joshua Foer on March 4 in UCSB’s Campbell Hall.
Foer’s book explores the history of memory, from Greek antiquity and the development of “memory palaces” to cutting edge neuroscience research. His explorations are set against the narrative of his own quest – to train and take part in the USA Memory Championships. Along the way the book examines the ways notions of education have changed from drill and kill and rote memorization to experiential learning. Faverty will be able to bring his educator’s experience to bear on what ways learning and memory do and should connect.
Faverty, a member of the Department of Education at UC Santa Barbara’s Gevirtz School, holds his B. A. in Communications/Secondary Education and a Utah Standard Secondary Teaching Credential from Utah State University (1971); his M. Ed. in Counseling Psychology and Ryan Pupil Personnel Services and Preliminary Administrative Services Credential from UCSB (1990); and an Ed.D. and a Professional Administrative Services Credential in Educational Leadership (Organizational Development) from the University of La Verne (1997).
Faverty has been a successful local Principal/Superintendent at the Cold Spring School District (1999-2000) in Montecito and Superintendent at Rio School District in Oxnard (2002-2006). Faverty has considerable regional and national experience in instructional leadership and comprehensive school reform, most notably as the Senior Director, Professional Development and School Services at The Galef Institute, a member of the seminal and influential New American Schools coalition. Furthermore, he is an Apple Distinguished Educator, proving he is one of a select global group of K-12 and Higher Education professionals possessing an identified expertise in educational technology leadership.