Faculty meeting

Undergraduate Faculty

Marlboro faculty come to the college from around the world, bringing with them knowledge gained from extensive research, travel, and practical experience, as well as schooling at the world's top institutions.

What brings such talented people to Marlboro? They like the autonomy and the freedom to teach as they see fit within their areas of expertise. They appreciate the absence of departmental politics and bureaucracy. They like the unpretentious atmosphere at Marlboro. The college also has a venerable community of faculty emeriti, many of whom remain in the area and continue to actively participate in campus activities.

Gloria Biamonte • Literature, Writing

Contact Info

802-258-9269
gbiamont@marlboro.edu

Plans Sponsored

  • An exploration of the reciprocal relationship between identity and perception through creative nonfiction and an analysis of ancient Indian and contemporary American literature. Susanna Mohan '10, writing and religion.
  • A collection of short stories considering the fictive dimensions of black manhood in American society and a critical inquiry of the works of William Faulkner and Toni Morrison. Carlus Henderson '09, writing and literature.
  • A literary and artistic exploration of the nature of faith and the individual's struggle against meaninglessness, through an analysis of contemporary American literature and original photographic work. James Paul '08, literature and visual arts.

"You can't grow as a writer, or as a reader really, unless you're willing to take risks," says Gloria Biamonte, who teaches both writing and literature. Gloria's background in 19th and 20th century women's literature and popular culture enriches her own writing interests and her classes at Marlboro. "I am really grateful that here I get to do both things I love. They inform each other so much." She likes working with students who are curious, and also those who are tentative but really want to go someplace with their writing.

Teaching Philosophy

"Writing is a vehicle for discovery," says Gloria. "You don't write about what you know, you write in order to find out what you know." Encouraging students to find their voices as writers, she creates an environment in her classes that fosters openness and risk-taking. "Trying to give shape to your thoughts and perceptions on paper can be both scary and exciting. You are reaching inward to understand and form your ideas, while reaching outward to communicate with your readers."

Believing that writers are, most importantly, readers, Gloria teaches students to read and think about literature while helping them explore their options as writers. In her writing seminars, Gloria examines authors ranging from Mark Twain to Zora Neale Hurston to Elie Weisel, grapples with texts that blur the line between fact and fiction and even considers what makes a good mystery novel. "My writing seminars on autobiographical narratives allow students to explore the meeting ground of memory and imagination and to move toward understanding their own writing as a site for learning.

Scholarly Activities

Gloria is a reader for the journal Tulsa Studies in Women's Literature, and recently published her own work, an essay called "Things I carry...", in the Winter 2009 issue of Peregrine. She has presented papers and moderated panels on literature at the conferences of the Northeast Modern Language Association and the New England Popular Culture Association. Gloria is currently working on a book about her father's struggle with Alzheimer's disease, inspired by a class on creative nonfiction she team-taught with writing professor John Sheehy. "The one thing that links all of my work comes from my seminar called Ways of Telling: how writers put words to things that seem unspeakable."

Education

B.A., M.A., Montclair State University, 1982; Ph.D., University of Massachusetts, 1991; Marlboro College, 1996

Rebecca Catarelli (visiting professor) • Politics

As a geographer, Becky Catarelli is interested in the countless ways we can "write" the "earth," so that knowledge production involves constructing and inhabiting worlds, a process epitomized by the Marlboro education and its self-directed Plan of Concentration. Becky graduated from Marlboro in 2004 with a Plan on changing gender boundaries in Hanoi, Vietnam, after which she returned to Vietnam to work in conservation for several years. She parlayed this experience into a master's in nature, society, and environmental policy at Oxford University, followed by a doctorate in geography and the environment. Her dissertation work focuses on the Florida Keys, and explores the multiple futures emerging as the low-lying archipelago is confronted with the dual threat of rapidly rising seas and the increasing potential for destruction by a catastrophic hurricane. This work is used in resonance with Becky’s experience during Hurricane Irene, which devastated Vermont in 2011, as well as the persistent interruption brought about by having two children while completing her research, events that draw out the erratic, non-linear temporalities of climate change itself. Becky has a particularly eclectic and interdisciplinary approach to research and writing, employing poetic and photographic methods and drawing heavily on personal experiences to foreground the ways climatic events inhabit the pre-personal, affective dimensions of our worlds, a practice she cultivated in the beautiful hills of Marlboro.

Education

B.A., Marlboro College, 2004; M.Sc., Oxford University, 2008; D.Phil., Oxford University 2016; Marlboro College, 2016 –

Jay Craven • Film-Video Studies

Contact Info

802-258-9251
jcraven@marlboro.edu

Plans Sponsored

  • Queen City Radio Hour, a live performance of original comedy and music, recorded for broadcast on Vermont Public Radio. Heather Reed '11 and Amber Schaefer '10.
  • Marble Hill, an original new comedy series based on a fictional college campus, to be aired on public television. Collaboration with 20 student writers, actors and filmmakers.
  • Approaching the Elephant, a documentary film following elementary school children in their pursuit of engaged learning and democratic practice in a small rural school. Amanda Wilder '07, director.
  • An exploration of the spiritual dimension of traditional Chinese martial arts and how they have been portrayed on film. Christopher Franz '10, film/video studies and Asian studies.
  • An examination of contemporary U.S.-Middle East relations, reflecting U.S. foreign policy, post-9/11 film and personal experience in the region. Mia Noel '10, politics and film/video studies.
  • Production of a dramatic feature film based on an original story about a woman trying to solve a mystery that resides largely in her mind. Joshua Pellerin '09, film/video studies.

Filmmaker Jay Craven launched the Catamount Arts performing arts program, northern New England’s largest independent arts producer and presenter. Jay creates award-winning films on modest budgets, combining the talents of a regular ensemble with well-known actors like Michael J. Fox, Rip Torn, Ernie Hudson, Treat Williams, Martin Sheen, Kris Kristofferson and Genevieve Bujold. Jay’s awards include the Producers’ Guild of America’s 1995 NOVA Award for most promising new theatrical motion picture producer. His films, such as A Stranger in the Kingdom (1998), The Year that Trembled (2002) and Disappearances (2006), have played at more than 40 festivals, including Sundance. Jay says he likes working with "imaginative students who are ready to try new things and want to get to work."

Teaching Philosophy

"My goal is to tell an inventive and original story," says Jay of his filmmaking approach that he passes along to his students. “It’s not just about equipment or being able to imitate Hollywood. Marlboro students practice and excel as narrative, documentary and experimental filmmakers.” In the classroom, he focuses on the same basics to which he attributes his own success: writing and directing. He also emphasizes the importance of collaboration—with lighting specialists, actors, cinematographers and designers. “I’m working to build a cross-collaborative film program that draws on Marlboro’s impressive resources of filmmakers, actors, musicians, writers, photographers and visual artists,” he says.

Scholarly Activities

Jay produced the 13-day 2009 Burlington International Waterfront Festival, commemorating the 400th anniversary of French explorer Samuel de Champlain's lake expedition. The festival featured more than 1,200 artists, including a commissioned dance performance by French-Algerian choreographer Heddy Maalem with 60 dancers from France, Quebec, Vermont (including dance professor Kristin Horrigan) and Native American nations. He has recently completed two new screenplays, a rural country "film noir" based on the novel by James Ross, They Don't Dance Much, and a psychological crime drama based on Judgement Ridge, by Dick Lehr and Mitchell Zuckoff. Jay is also working on a memoir about his 35 years of work as a Vermont indie filmmaker and grass-roots impresario.

Education

M.F.A., Goddard College, 1977; Honorary B.A., Sterling College, 2006; Marlboro College, 1998 –

Rosario de Swanson • Gender Studies, Languages

Contact Info

802-451-7581
rdeswanson@marlboro.edu

Plans Sponsored

  • Ugly Modernity: Governance, violence, and the money economy in Mexico. Scott Weaver '12, liberal studies.
  • La vida galapaguena: a collection of essays and journals exploring second language acquisition and culture in the Galapagos Islands, Ecuador. Christopher Boyle '10, languages.
  • An application of psychology, Spanish and applied linguistics to the Colombian context of English language learning, history, culture and armed conflict. Antonio Iaccarino '10, psychology and languages.

Growing up in a rural town in Mexico's Jalisco state gave Rosario de Swanson a unique perspective as a student of Spanish American literature. Studying the culture she grew up in while living in the U.S. made her more aware of contradictions and forced her to confront ideas that she had never questioned. Rosario considers the study of Spanish as highly relevant, even in rural Vermont. "Perhaps we have not been the best of neighbors, but the stories of Americans and Latin Americans are tied, historically and otherwise. There are also so many people in the U.S. of Hispanic descent that knowing about their language, their culture and their stories of immigration and arrival is relevant to all of us because it is part of our histories.

Since 2008, Rosario has led a Spanish language and literature program for promising students in the Dominican Republic. She designed the curriculum as part of MACILE (Matemáticas, Ciencias y Lenguaje), a program dedicated to improving the quality of education for K-12 students in less advantaged communities. "I had great teachers who really loved our culture and language," she says. "I want these students to have the same experience."

Teaching Philosophy

"I want to always present ideas in a fresh way, and always present new ideas," says Rosario. "I usually go for the nontraditional," such as her course called Gender Trouble, about modern women writers in Latin America and the Afro-Hispanic diaspora. As a professor of Spanish she expects a lot of her students, but in a laid back atmosphere. She strives to help students to test and trust their own ideas and find their own voice, "which most of the students already have in English; it's hard to find in a second language."

Scholarly Activities

Rosario's tendency to explore uncharted academic territory is exemplified by her dissertation topic, "Afro-Hispanic difference in continental Spanish American literature." In addition to Afro-Hispanic literature, culture and music, she specializes in women writers, contemporary indigenous literature and feminist and post-colonial theory. "There are 21 nations and multiple cultures represented in the linguistic universe of Spanish," says Rosario. "With each community adding something to the language, culture and literature, studying Spanish is very rewarding." In March 2010, she traveled to Equatorial Guinea, the only African nation where Spanish is the official language, to research a paper on the nationally celebrated writer Juan Tomas Avila Laurel.

Selected Publications

  • "Si alguien dice que esta desarrollado y no goza de los derechos humanos, no lo esta": Entrevista al escritor ecuatoguineano Juan Tomas Avila Laurel. Hispanic Journal, 32(2), Fall 2011.
  • "Orality, Myth and History in the works of Afro-Peruvian writer Lucia Charun Illescas.MARGES, Postcolonial Discourses and Renegotiations of Black Identities." Centro Interdisciplinario de Estudios Africanos y de la World Diaspora. Howard University (US) & Le Groupe de Recherche Sur Les Noir-E-S D'Amerique Latina, Universite de Perpignan (France), 2011.
  • "Autoenografía, espacio, identidad y resistencia in la narrativa fundacional de Guinea Ecuatorial: Cuando los combes luchaban (1953) de Leoncio Evita Enoy." Revista Iboroamericana, in press.
  • "Palabras de mujer: intertextualidad, mito y memoria en Malambo de Lucía Charún Illescas." Alba de America, 28 (2009): 311-330.
  • "Para morir iguales." (Short Story) Letras Femeninas 35(1), Summer 2009.
  • "María de las Soledades" and "Así fue." (Poems) Letras Femeninas 31(2), Winter 2006.
  • "Los milagros de la Virgen de Guadalupe: Transición al Nuevo / Nuevos Mundos." (The Miracles of our Lady of Guadalupe: Transition to the New World, to New Worlds). Hispania 85(2), May 2002.

Education

B.A., Smith College, 1998; M.A., University of Massachusetts-Amherst, 2003; Ph.D., University of Massachusetts-Amherst, 2008; Marlboro College, 2009 -

William Edelglass (modified sabbatical fall 2017/spring 2018) • Environmental Studies, Philosophy

Contact Info

802-258-9311
wedelglass@marlboro.edu

Plans Sponsored

  • A study of morality emphasizing the selective mechanisms by which it evolves, including an in-depth analysis of its adaptive function. Carolyn Drumsta '10, environmental studies and biology.
  • An interdisciplinary study of environmental management with a focus on collaborative, place-based and adaptive planning, drawing on economics, environmental philosophy and policy studies. Isaac Lawrence '10, economics and philosophy.
  • An examination of the conceptual art movement focusing on the subject of artistic intention and the art object, complemented by an exhibition of works on paper. Ariella Miller '10, art history and philosophy.
  • An exploration of identity, metaphor, and judgment in modernist literature and philosophy.  Michael Mirer ’11, literature and philosophy.
  • An exploration of the intertwining of ethics, mindfulness, emotions and education. Jonathan Wood '12, liberal studies/contemplative studies and education.

William has been a teacher in a variety of settings, including a federal prison in New York, a Tibetan refugee settlement in Nepal, and for many years as a wilderness guide at Outward Bound. Before coming to Marlboro, William taught philosophy at Colby College and at the Institute of Buddhist Dialectics, Dharamsala, India, where he taught Western philosophy to Tibetan monks and Buddhist philosophy to American college students on a Tibetan studies program. He was attracted to Marlboro by its commitment to preparing students with the skills, methods and background to take responsibility for their own work, and by the vibrant intellectual and artistic community this makes possible.

Teaching Philosophy

William's areas of expertise include 20th-century European philosophy—phenomenology, existentialism, hermeneutics, poststructuralism and postmodernism—Buddhist philosophy and environmental philosophy. He is particularly interested in questions of ethics, aesthetics and meaning. William’s courses often engage disciplines outside of philosophy, including art history and the visual and performing arts, Asian studies, religious studies and environmental studies. "Marlboro's interdisciplinary approach is deeply appealing to me," he said. "I value working with students and colleagues who do not feel bound by narrow disciplinary expectations that limit intellectual exploration."

Scholarly Activities

William has published widely in Indian and Tibetan Buddhist philosophy, environmental philosophy, and 20th-century European philosophy. He is co-director of the International Association of Environmental Philosophy and co-editor of the journal Environmental Philosophy. William is also co-editor of Buddhist Philosophy: Essential Readings (Oxford University Press, 2009), the Oxford Handbook of World Philosophy (Oxford University Press, 2011), and Facing Nature: Levinas and Environmental Thought.

Selected Publications

Selected Public Presentations

  • “Buddhism and Nature.” Indian Institute of Technology—Bombay, Mumbai, India. March, 2014.
  • “Ethics as First Philosophy? Husserl, Heidegger, Levinas.” University of Mumbai, Mumbai, India. March, 2014.
  • “The Genealogy of Place and Space: From Plato’s Timaeus to ‘the Spatial Turn’.”  Bennington College, Bennington, Vermont. December, 2013.
  • “The Broad Tongue of the Buddha: Dharma and the Wild.” Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon. October, 2013.
  • “Global Climate Change, Social Justice, and Buddhist Ethics: An Invitation to Practice.” Salisbury University, Salisbury, Maryland. September, 2013.
  • “Nativism, Place, and the Sacred: Nature and Violence in Heidegger and Levinas.” University of Jena, Jena, Germany. June, 2012.
  • “Emmanuel Levinas,” Seminar for faculty and graduate students, Tallinn University, Tallinn, Estonia, June 2012.
  • “Ethics and Ontology in Emmanuel Levinas.” Bratislava International School of Liberal Arts, Bratislava, Slovakia, May, 2012.

Education

B.A., St. John's College, 1993; M.A., Emory University, 1999, Ph.D., Emory University, 2004; Marlboro College, 2008 -

David Eichelberger (visiting arts fellow) • Ceramics

"My role in the liberal arts setting has grown to embrace the potential for hands-on endeavors to act as a vehicle for problem-solving skill development in students, even beyond the studio setting," says David Eichelberger. David comes to Marlboro from Ferrum College, and he also has teaching experience from Appalachian State University, the University of Nebraska, Lincoln, and the most established craft schools in the nation. His experience in the field includes technical aspects of ceramics from glaze formulation to kiln building, from wheel throwing to hand building. David avoids labels and bridges definitions by acting as both "potter" and "sculptor." He makes one-of-a-kind pieces in his own studio, exhibits nationally, and co-owns a wholesale porcelain tableware business. His work has been published in Ceramics Monthly, American Craft, and Clay: A Studio Handbook, among other publications.

Education

B.F.A., Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 2000; M.F.A., University of Nebraska–Lincoln, 2010; Marlboro College, 2017–

Brenda Foley (on leave) • Gender Studies, Theater

Contact Info

802-451-7554
bfoley@marlboro.edu

Plans Sponsored

A scholar with diverse and eclectic theatrical interests, Brenda Foley is as happy teaching Jacobean tragedy as she is rehearsing Tennessee Williams or Sarah Kane, or searching for the correspondences between female characters in 18th-century plays and the rhetoric of masking so prevalent onstage in that period. “Studying and practicing theater,” says Brenda, “gives us an extraordinarily visceral opportunity to experience human behavior from a perspective other than our own.” She has worked at a number of Equity theaters herself, including The Roundabout, La Jolla Playhouse, GeVa, Studio Arena, StageWest, the Alabama Shakespeare Festival, Florida Stage (where she won the 1994 Carbonell Award for Best Actress in Keely and Du) and Vienna’s English theater.

Teaching Philosophy

Performance theorist Alan Read’s contention, “theater begins from a point of coalescence, not polarity,” best articulates Brenda Foley ’s approach to the practice, study and teaching of theater. She has always been interested in how forms and performances intersect; convergence has become a recurring aspect of her scholarship and pedagogy.

For Brenda, teaching and scholarship are a logical extension of her work in the professional theater. “At Marlboro, I have the chance to share my belief that scholarship is a creative endeavor with smart and diligent students who embrace an interdisciplinary model of liberal arts education with a passion that equals my own," she says. "Together our interests find expression in wide-ranging courses that explore and interrogate the social practice of theater, in all its variations.”

Scholarly Activities

Brenda’s research areas of interest are performance studies, pop culture, feminism and performance, contemporary theater and disability studies. Her past scholarship includes a book, Undressed for Success: Beauty Contestants and Exotic Dancers as Merchants of Morality, and essays in journals such as Nordic Theater Studies and The National Women’s Studies Association Journal. Brenda’s current research project explores the historical treatment of women who were patients in asylums and institutions throughout the Northeast U.S. from 19th to the early 20th century. The results of the research will lead to an interdisciplinary seminar in original source research, performance project, and publication.

Selected Publications

  • Passing Strange: Illness, Shame, and Performance," in Chronicity Enquiries: Making Sense of Chronic Illness, Interdisciplinary Press, Oxford, 2013.
  • "The Masked Coquette: A Paradigm for the 18th-Century Stage" in Refiguring the Coquette, Bucknell University Press 2008.
  • Undressed for Success: Beauty Contestants and Exotic Dancers as Merchants of Morality, Palgrave Macmillan, 2005. 

Selected Public Presentations

  • "Passing Strange." Chronic Illness: The Borderlands between Health and Illness conference. Oxford, England, September 2011.
  • "Performing Pain." Interdisciplinary meeting, Probing Boundaries, Making Sense of Pain. Warsaw, May 2011.
  • "That's Entertainment: Representations of disability in pop culture." University of Central Lancashire, England, 2010.
  • "Disciplines and Interdisciplinary Study: Our Achilles Heel." Consortium for Innovative Environments in Learning and Association of American Colleges and Universities, 2009.
  • "Sara Kane's Blasted Logic of Space." Cambridge, England, 2008.
  • "21st-Century Liberal Education: A Contested Concept." Kentucky, 2008.

Education

B.A., University of Santa Clara, 1982; M.F.A., California Institute of the Arts, 1984; A.M., Brown University, 2000; Ph.D., Brown University, 2004; Marlboro College, 2007 –

Adam Franklin-Lyons • Environmental Studies, History

Contact Info

802-258-9279
adamfl@marlboro.edu

Plans Sponsored

  • An investigation into the ever-shifting lines between religious orthodoxy, fanaticism, and the heretical in the late Medieval period. In this vein I will focus upon Elizabeth of Spaalbeck, the Beguines, and the English mystical traditions.
  • A holistic approach to the study of brewing, using history, microbiology & chemistry, film, and the production of actual beers.
  • A historical account of the space era, including a focus on the space race within the Cold War and the rise of the rocketeers.

Selected Courses Taught

Having a long-standing interest in teaching at the undergraduate level, Adam Franklin-Lyons was not drawn to colleges where research is the goal and teaching is secondary. At Marlboro College, he knew he found a place where education was paramount. "The students here are very dedicated," says Adam. "I was surprised at first how curious they are in class. One hopes that students will be, but even the students at great universities aren't always curious." Adam, who got his master's and doctorate degrees in history at Yale, also has degrees in philosophy, musicology and religion, liturgy and the arts.

Teaching Philosophy

Adam strives to provide his students with the tools they need to pursue their personal passion, working to connect history to all aspects of the liberal arts curriculum. "History is at the heart of a lot of contemporary discourse, both political and social," he says. "In a more-or-less secular society, lacking a certain unified set of beliefs, we tend to argue based on our past." Adam is inspired by the level of autonomy faculty members have in designing their curriculum. "I like how Marlboro thinks."

Scholarly Activities

Adam's own academic passions include the environmental, economic and social history of the Middle Ages. "My dissertation focuses on social constraints in the responses to famines in medieval Catalonia and the western Mediterranean," he says. "The work brings to light a variety of previously under-researched causes and responses in medieval food shortages including aesthetic preferences, legal restrictions on trade and agriculture, protectionist practices and the treatment of the poor." Other areas of research include the history of poverty, liturgical practice, cuisine, medieval trade and the development of agricultural technology, both European and Islamic. "Although I am a medievalist, I am also interested in global perspectives on food supply, diet and modern methods of agricultural production." He has pursued these interests internationally, studying the history of famines and experimental archeology in Spain and Arabic in Tunisia.

Selected Publications

  • “Grain yields and agricultural practice at the castle of Sitges, 1354-1411,” in Savoir de Campagne; Etudes Roussillonnaises, in press.
  • “Modern famine theory and the study of pre-modern famines,” in Crisis en la Edad Media: modelos, explicaciones y representaciones, edited by Pere Benito i Monclus. Lleida, Spain: Editorial Milenio, 2012.
  • "Mallorca, Kingdom of" and "Valencia, Kingdom of," in Oxford Dictionary of the Middle Ages, edited by Robert Bjork. Oxford University Press, 2010.
  • "Changes of Musical Style in a Spanish Franciscan Antiphonal," In New Studies on Yale Manuscripts from the Late Antique to the Early Modern Period, edited by Robert Babcock. New Haven, CT: Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, 2005.

Adam runs a podcast series of history interviews, lectures, and thoughts. He has also made available an introduction and many of the lectures from his Introduction to Medieval Studies class.

Education

B.A. and B.M., Oberlin College, 2000; M.A., Yale University, 2006, Ph.D., Yale University, 2009; Marlboro College, 2009 -

Clare Gillis (visiting professor) • Politics

In addition to having a doctorate in history, with a dissertation on the new sexual morality in the early middle ages, Clare Gillis spent four years as a journalist in the Middle East. “I began foreign reporting in Bethlehem in 2010, and went on to Egypt, Libya, Syria, Mali, Turkey, and Iraq,” says Clare. Her work has appeared in The Atlantic, The American Scholar, Foreign Policy, USA Today, and other magazines and newspapers in the U.S. and abroad. In 2014 she also worked as a researcher for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, reporting on the harsh ordeals of women refugees of the Syrian war. With interests ranging from Roman and medieval societies to the Arab Spring, and a knowledge of Marlboro’s intellectual community from visiting her sister Eleanor Gillis ’02, Clare brings a unique perspective to the classroom.

Education

B.A., University of Chicago, 1998; M.A., Harvard University, 2003; Ph.D., Harvard University, 2010; Marlboro College, 2015 –

Jennifer Girouard • Sociology

Contact Info

jenniferg@marlboro.edu

As a first-generation college student from a working-class family, Jennifer Girouard experienced the transformative power of a Marlboro College education first-hand, graduating in 2001 with a Plan of Concentration in Sociology. She has built on that experience to gain broad training in sociology, with research and teaching interests in political sociology, sociology of culture, law and society, and qualitative methods. “My Marlboro experience taught me the value of intensive class discussions, cross-disciplinary thinking, and individualized attention, lessons that form the backbone of my pedagogy,” says Jennifer.

Teaching Philosophy

“My teaching strives to foster tensile minds,” says Jennifer, using “tensility” to connote both strength and elasticity. “A strong and flexible mind is one that can think critically and rigorously, and adapt to new situations.” Her courses emphasize open dialogue, collaborative and peer-to-peer learning, and the application of concepts to contemporary issues. “The most exciting moments are when a student is spurred by class to inquire about a new topic and think across disciplines.” Jennifer’s pedagogical approach was fostered as an instructor at Wheaton College, Tufts University, and Brandeis University, and during five years spent working at a homeless shelter in western Massachusetts and for Head Start in Appalachian Ohio. “These experiences challenged and immersed me in new social and cultural milieu, and honed my sociological lens.”

Scholarly Activities

Jennifer is eager to provide opportunities for students to participate in her ongoing research, exploring competing institutional logics and cultural discourse through local land-use conflicts. Her doctoral dissertation, titled “When Law Comes to Town: Participation and Discourse in Fair-share Affordable Housing Hearings,” was based on a study of four towns’ implementation of a state law designed to increase affordable-housing stock in the suburbs. “My research agenda on land-use conflicts and housing inequalities includes comparisons of other state fair-share and inclusionary zoning approaches,” she says. Jennifer is co-editor of Varieties of Civic Innovation: Deliberative, Collaborative, Network, and Narrative Approaches.

Selected Publications

  • Varieties of Civic Innovation: Deliberative, Collaborative, Network, and Narrative Approaches, co-edited with Carmen Sirianni. Vanderbilt Press, 2014.
  • “Uncertainty in Clergy’s Perspectives on Homosexuality: A Research Note.” Review of Religious Research, with Wendy Cadge, Laura R. Olson, and Madison Lyleroehr (2012).
  • "The Civics of Urban Planning.” In The Oxford Handbook of Urban Planning, Rachel Weber and Randall Crane (eds.), with Carmen Siriannai. (Oxford University Press, 2011).

Education

B.A. Marlboro College, 2001; Ph.D. Brandeis University, 2016; Marlboro College, 2015 –

Richard Glejzer Dean of Faculty • Literature

Contact Info

802-258-9234
rglejzer@marlboro.edu

Richard Glejzer came to Marlboro after teaching at North Central College in Illinois and College of Idaho. "I have always admired Marlboro's approach to teaching and service, where students work closely with faculty to develop their own academic path and where students, faculty, and staff work together in a shared community," he says. Richard is especially excited to be working in an environment where he can continue to work across traditional disciplinary divides, and even teach yoga.

Teaching Philosophy

Richard's teaching has ranged widely in the areas of medieval literature, rhetoric and cultural theory, while also focusing more precisely on representations of the Holocaust and other traumatic events. "In all of my courses, students grapple with difficult questions about representation and knowledge, considering explicitly the ethics of memory and history," says Richard. "More importantly, I ask my students to address the limits of knowledge that representation often demonstrates, considering the ethical challenges of the Holocaust, for example, within disciplinary frames that determine what we can understand and how we then act."

Scholarly Activities

Richard's research follows an arc similar to his teaching, from considering the ways that bearing witness both constructs and limits our understanding of the Holocaust to examinations of many kinds of Holocaust representation—the memoirs and fiction of Aaron Appelfeld, Art Spiegelman and Cynthia Ozick; films ranging from Claude Lanzmann's Shoah to Tim Blake Nelson's The Grey Zone; the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum and Yad Vashem. His most recent publications have expanded on these issues within the context of 9/11 while also moving into more focused work on the rhetorical grounding of representations of disaster.

Selected Publications

  • "Synecdoche as Figure of the Holocaust," with Michael Bernard-Donals, in The Responsibilities of Rhetoric, Waveland Press, 2010.
  • "Witnessing 9/11: Art Spiegelman and the Persistence of Trauma," in Literature after 9/11, Routledge, 2008.
  • "Reading Talmud: Levinas and the Possibility of Rhetoric," in Rhetorical Agendas: Political, Ethical, Spiritual, Erlbaum, 2006.
  • Witnessing the Disaster: Essays on Representations of the Holocaust. Co-edited with Michael Bernard-Donals. Madison: University of Wisconsin Press, 2003.
  • Between Witness and Testimony: The Holocaust and the Limits of Representation. With Michael Bernard-Donals. Albany: SUNY Press, 2001.
  • Rhetoric in an Antifoundational World: Language, Culture, and Pedagogy. Co-edited with Michael Bernard-Donals. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1998.

Education

B.A., University of New Hampshire, 1986; M.A., University of New Hampshire, 1989; PhD., University of Missouri-Columbia, 1994; Marlboro College 2010 -

Seth Harter (sabbatical spring 2018) • Asian Studies, History

Contact Info

802-258-9265
harter@marlboro.edu

Plans Sponsored

  • A study of the cultural and artistic cross-fertilization that occurred when Japan opened up to the West in the 19th century. Max Madalinski '09, visual arts and Asian studies.
  • An overview of poverty in the Lao People's Democratic Republic. Andy Zuckerman '08, Asian studies.
  • A study of sustainable development issues in contemporary Vietnam, from the perspectives of rural development theory, religious ethics and ecologically sustainable agriculture. Jeremy Loeb '07, Asian studies and religion.

"Recently there has been a lot of talk, in connection with globalization, about the importance of understanding Asia," says Seth Harter. "I couldn’t agree more, but I think that discussions of globalization in the media often promote two misconceptions: first, that global economic interdependence is a recent phenomenon; and second, that globalization has created a culturally homogenous world. One of the greatest contributions that Asian studies can make, in the liberal arts context, is to counter these two misconceptions."

Teaching Philosophy

"I want to use the heterogeneity of Asian history to get students to think about seemingly familiar phenomena—gender relations, migration, time, money—in new ways," says Seth. He looks forward to working with students with creativity and determination, as well as great research and writing skills. "I feel like the open-ended nature of our curricular structure—particularly at the Plan level—means that students' creativity and determination can take them places they couldn't go at other schools. It also makes the work of the Plan sponsor more delightful."

Scholarly Activities

Seth plunged into Asian studies after teaching in Hong Kong, which captivated him with its energy and its resistance to simple categorization: "The city was simultaneously a colony and not colonial, both individualistic and family-oriented, at once cosmopolitan and parochial." Fascinated by the paradoxes he saw there, he used them as the basis of his dissertation in history, which examines the relationship between Hong Kong and China in the mid-20th century.

In recent years Seth has developed an interest in Daoism, and he serves on the editorial board of the Journal of Daoist Studies. His research has led to an experimental seminar that explores Daoist traditions while raising questions about the place of physical practice in the classroom. Out of this experiment came a paper presented at the Fifth International Daoist Studies Conference in 2009 at Wudangshan, China. Seth is currently exploring the concept of embodied learning in Asia and the West, exploring the ways in which our minds are inseparable from our bodies and how our materiality bears on our epistemology.

Selected Publications

"Practice in the classroom: To taiji or not to taiji?" Journal of Daoist Studies 3 (2010).

Education

B.A., Yale University, 1989; M.A.,University of Michigan, 1996; PhD., University of Michigan, 2006; Marlboro College, 2000 –

Kristin Horrigan • Dance, Gender Studies

Contact Info

802-258-9278
horrigan@marlboro.edu

Plans Sponsored

  • Move Me: A Plan of Concentration in Dance and Poetry. Cookie Harrist '12, dance and poetry.
  • A semester of research on the performance traditions of Japan, in preparation for field study during a Freeman Foundation-funded trip to Japan in May 2010. Sarah Verbil '11, Elizabeth Hull '11, Mercedes Lake '12 and Anna Knecht '11.
  • A study of spirituality and physicality drawing on modern dance and Islam, including a body of choreographic work exploring connections between inward experience and outward expression. Amity Jones '10, dance and religion.
  • A study of the relationship between conceptual and performance art with a focus on artistic appropriation and authorship. Sophia Cleary '10, art history and dance.

Dance professor Kristin Horrigan knows that a balanced liberal arts education can be greatly enhanced by an exploration of dance, as reflected in her own academic history. Kristin's graduate studies at Ohio State focused the intersection between concert dance and social activism. Her major as an undergraduate at Princeton was actually in chemistry, with a minor in dance. Kristin's broad educational background allows her to provide for students whose academic work is interdisciplinary. She specializes in teaching modern dance, choreography and improvisation, and special topics in dance history and theory.

Teaching Philosophy

“I want students to understand dance as an art form—its history, its theory, its methods, it's relationship to other aspects of culture—and to develop critical frameworks for understanding dance in a larger social context,” says Kristin. She also expects students to be able to apply paradigms from their dance studies to their work in other fields and their experiences in other parts of life. "I want students to develop tools for creative and analytical thought, from an embodied perspective, that they can carry out into their other studies.”

"One of the things I enjoy about teaching at Marlboro is that the students are individuals and student success takes many different forms," says Kristin. She is continually surprised by the beauty of particular strengths that students bring, strengths she cannot always see at the outset. "The students I most enjoy bring curiosity, enthusiasm, a willingness to work hard and a balance of open-mindedness and critical thinking skills in their approach to new ideas."

Scholarly Activities

Kristin's work has been published in academic journals such as Dance Magazine and Contact Quarterly. Her current research regards intergenerational dance, and she directs a company of dancers who range in age from 23 to 88 in Northampton, Massachusetts, called the Dance Generators. They perform five to ten shows a year in theaters, schools and senior homes in western Massachusetts. In spring of 2010 they brought a full-length show to Marlboro for the first time. In 2009, Kristin traveled to Stolzenhaagen, Germany, a small village on the Polish border where she collaborated with other artists in choreographing a community-based dance project, including children, adults and elders. The project celebrated the history of the town and its diverse population, while creating understanding between residents of various backgrounds. She also performed in Burlington, Vermont, as part of a new dance by French choreographer Heddy Malem commissioned for the Champlain Quadracentennial Project.

Education

A.B., Princeton University, 1999; M.F.A., Ohio State University, 2002. Marlboro College, 2006-

Amer Latif • Religion

Contact Info

802-451-7558
alatif@marlboro.edu

Plans Sponsored

  • Grant-supported travel to Turkey to learn about Sufi musical practice, including observing Zhikr and Sema ceremonies and interviewing teachers and musicians. Mike Harrist '10, music and religion.
  • A study of spirituality and physicality drawing on modern dance and Islam, including choreographic work exploring inward experience and outward expression. Amity Jones '10, dance and religion.
  • An exploration of the themes of suffering, healing and social construction of reality as depicted in the biblical book of Job and in the poetry of Rumi. Mary Coventry '10, religion.
  • A study of how one's Christian beliefs affect one's social interactions and understanding of suffering, including an internship in an orphanage in Mexico. Ryan Dolan '09, religion and political science.

When he left his home in Islamabad, Pakistan, Amer Latif hoped to find some answers to his many questions about the universe in science. But by the time he graduated with a degree in physics from Bard College, Amer knew that the answers to his questions—and often the questions themselves—transcended science. His liberal arts education had allowed other questions to surface: "questions of beauty and meaning," he says. He found himself driven by a desire to know the deeper significance of things in addition to the measurement of them. "The first place I found that did not shy away from these questions was in the writings of Rumi," says Amer.

Teaching Philosophy

Amer feels that religious studies can be viewed much like learning a language. Religion is expressed through the languages of myth, ritual and symbol. "These languages give a structure to one’s thoughts and provide categories that shape one’s perception and experience of the world." Amer’s goal is to allow students to understand and enter the conceptual universe of different religions through the combined use of art, literature, ethnography and historical studies. "For me, knowledge is one," says Amer. "There are ways of making sense of things, and how they relate to each other, in a unified vision; that appeals to me."

Scholarly Activities

Amer completed his doctoral degree at Stony Brook University in 2009, with a dissertation examining the interpretations of the Qur'anic narratives of Pharaoh by Rumi—the 13th-century Muslim scholar and mystic. "What interests me is how some people are able to move from one system of 'signs' to another," says Amer, who is working on turning his dissertation into a book. "Rumi is like a translator. He takes stories of Pharaoh and Moses in the Qur'an, and tells people that this is something that is happening right within you." Amer's work also involves translating texts from Persian, Arabic, Urdu and Turkish.

Selected Publications

  • "The performance of perplexity: A Sufi approach to the paradoxes of monotheism." The Muslim World, 97 (4): 611-625, October 2007
  • "Unending patterns: Rumi's interpretation of Qur'anic stories." American Academy of Religion annual meeting, Chicago 2008.
  • "Narrative criticism and Qur'anic discourse: The case of Pharoah." Colby Sawyer College, 2007.
  • "Mithl and Mithal: Rumi's use of images and analogies in interpreting the Qur'an." Cambridge University, England, 2006.
  • "Jalaluddin Rumi's interpretations of the Qur'anic story of Moses and Pharoah." Journal of Qur'anic Studies biennial conference, School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London, England, 2005.
  • "Mercy in literalness: Ibn al-Arabi's Qur'anic hermeneutics," American Academy of Religion annual meeting, San Antonio, Texas, 2004.
  • "Unity in the Qur'an: A literary critical perspective." Society for the Anthropological Study of Religion, Providence, Rhode Island, 2003.

Education

B.A., Bard College, 1995; Ph.D. SUNY-Stony Brook, 2009; Marlboro College, 2003–

Grant Li • Languages

Contact Info

802-451-7148
gli@marlboro.edu

Plans Sponsored

  • Student/faculty environmental studies research trip to China, summer 2012.
  • Student language summer program in China, summer 2012.
  • A comparative study of music and language as distinct communicative systems aimed at discovering the fundamental characteristics of human meaning-making practices. Alison Presswood '12, Languages/ linguistics.
  • Distributed Morphology (DM) model in current morphosyntactic theory by looking at works of those in the forefront of the field today. Megan Reed '12, Languages/linguistics.

"I am interested in language & culture and how languages work," said Grant Li, who has a deep appreciation for the fundamental similarities between languages. Grant was born and grew up in the northeast of China, where standard Chinese is spoken. After receiving his Ph.D. in linguistics from the University of California, Irvine, he turned his attention to teaching Chinese. At Marlboro College, Grant teaches all levels of Chinese and theoretical linguistics.

Teaching Philosophy

“To many people Chinese is a hard language to learn. That may be true, but I try to make the language accessible to students with activities in class conducive to developing their communicative skills,” said Grant, who always brings fun and joy to language learning. In linguistics, he emphasizes the theoretical and formal approaches to the nature of language, reflecting his view that fundamentally all languages are the same. He believes that languages differ on the surface due to various interactions of a finite set of surprisingly simple grammatical principles. "Because of the nature of linguistics, students interested in any language can work with me—not only their own native language(s), but any other languages as well. A comparative study across languages is particularly fascinating, as it often helps reveal the nature of language."

Scholarly Activities

Grant's research interests are Chinese language and culture, syntactic theory and comparative linguistics. Grant helps students to work on a particular language-Chinese or to develop analyses of some language phenomena from the theoretical perspective. His view on syntactic nature of distributivity is summarized in his book, 分之道/Tao of Division (2009) and a book chapter “Distributivity: A Parametric View” (2011).

Education

B.A., Heilongjiang University, 1982; M.A., Heilongjiang University, 1987; M.A., University of California, Irvine, 1995; Ph.D., University of California, Irvine, 1997; Marlboro College, 2008 –

Jim Mahoney (sabbatical fall 2018) • Computer Science

Contact Info

802-258-9255
mahoney@marlboro.edu

Plans Sponsored

  • An exploration of computer music composition through an analysis of traditional Irish music, including the creation of a computer program to compose in the traditional Irish genre. Abe Stimson '08, computer science & music.
  • A study of open source internet technologies and their use in urban areas of developing nations. Ryon Frink '09, computer science/development studies.
  • Computer models of wind turbine design and energy production. Alec Koumjian '10, physics & computer science.

As a teenager in the 1970s, Jim Mahoney taught his calculator to play minesweeper, and he never looked back. As a radio astronomer in the 1980s, he programmed telescopes and modeled galaxies. And in the 1990s, watching the growth of the internet, he set up Marlboro College’s first website. These days Jim tries to connect computer science to various disciplines across the curriculum, including computer music, dance technology, linguistics, digital image and video projects, bioformatics, geographical information systems and scientific data analysis and modeling.

Teaching Philosophy

Jim finds that the field of computer science is ideal for interdisciplinary work, and his own interests are a perfect example. "I guess I like best working with students who want to find ways to use a computer to work in other areas—physics, music, dance, whatever—and who put the time in to really dig into things," he says. "I've also had a lot of fun with students who've worked just within computer science, with various internet projects or numerical computations." Jim finds computer science fertile ground for exploring everything from web technology to the nature of thought itself.

Scholarly Activities

Jim's academic career began with physics, but he has always worked with computers as an important tool, both for various kinds of data analysis and for theoretical work. Over the years, however, his fascination with computers and with programming grew into the place where physics and computer science collide—and where computer science overlaps with other disciplines. In 2002, after teaching physics at Marlboro for 14 years, Jim eagerly filled a vacant position for a computer science professor.

Most of Jim's own research has centered on the internet, including the use of web applications in education. At the 2006 Wikimania, Wikipedia's annual conference, Jim presented a poster on an academic wiki used by many Marlboro science professors to organize their courses. In 2009, Jim developed a computerized scripting system for dance, another avid interest. For several years, Jim has also worked as an internet consultant, most recently helping the Connecticut Association of Directors of Health develop a "health equity index." This online tool charts the relationship between health and wealth demographics in the state.

Jim's academic website has links to all his courses for the next few years.

Education

B.S., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1981; Ph.D., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1987; Physics Staff, MIT Environmental Study Group, 1986 - 1988; NASA Summer Faculty Fellow, 1991 - 1992; Marlboro Graduate Center faculty, 2001 - ; Internet consultant, 2004 – ; Marlboro College, 1988 –

Frédérique Marty (French language and literature fellow) • Languages

Contact Info

fmarty@marlboro.edu

“I strongly believe in the importance of teaching students to think critically, not only about academic subjects but also about their lives,” says Frédérique Marty, a French language and francophone literature fellow. A native speaker of French with experience teaching in higher education in the U.S., Frédérique is well versed in different methodologies to help students acquire competency in a foreign language. Most recently she taught French language and culture at the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and before that she was a visiting lecturer at the University of Idaho, Moscow. “From my teaching evaluations, it is clear that I am a dynamic teacher who cares about students and also has high expectations of them,” says Frédérique. In addition to her teaching, she is a dedicated researcher in her field and has been active in presenting and publishing her work. Her doctoral dissertation is an annotated edition of the Pelerin de Lorete (1604), a voluminous tome by the Jesuit Louis Richeome highlighting some of the religious feuds raging in Europe in the 17th century. “Despite having been a ‘best-seller’ during its time and translated into several languages, there is no critical edition of the work to date,” she says. She is currently working on publishing her edition, which would be the first publication of the work since 1628. She recently presented at the Renaissance Society of America and has published her work widely.

Selected Publications

“La Vierge lectrice : sur la présence du livre dans les tableaux d’Annonciation, et sur le sens de cette représentation” in Le livre en tous ses états. Du statut de l'œuvre écrite à la figuration du symbole (XIIe-XVIIe siècles), Etudes réunies par Gérard Gros, Paris, Honoré Champion, "collection, congrès et conférences-Moyen Âge", 2015, pp. 97-116.  

“L’acide entre texte et image dans le Traité des manières de graver… d’Abraham Bosse (1645)” in L’acide dans la littérature, sous la direction de Véronique Duché, Paris, Classiques-Garnier, "Collection Rencontres", 2015, pp. 117-125.

Education

L.M.L., Université de Pau et des Pays de l’Adour, 2000; M.M.L., Université de Pau et des Pays de l’Adour, 2001; D.E.A., Université de Pau et des Pays de l’Adour, 2002; Ph.D., Université de Pau et des Pays de l’Adour, 2014; Marlboro College 2015 -

Kaethe Minden (fellow) • Mathematics

"Logic is the foundation of quantitative reasoning skills, and brings rich insight into mathematics and other STEM fields," says math fellow Kaethe Minden. She comes to Marlboro from The Graduate Center of the City University of New York (CUNY), where she recently completed her doctorate in mathematics with a dissertation on set theory, large cardinals and forcing. Kaethe has teaching experience from Baruch College and Lehman College, both part of the CUNY system, as well as experience as a teaching assistant while an undergrad at University of California, Los Angeles. She also has served as the student chapter vice president for the Association for Women in Mathematics.

Education

B.S., University of California, Los Angeles, 2010; Ph.D., City University of New York, 2017; Marlboro College, 2017–

Meg Mott • Politics

Contact Info

802-451-7556
megmott@marlboro.edu

Plans Sponsored

  • The politics of pluralism: an exploration of felony disenfranchisement in the United States and women's political voices in Nepali nation-building. Amber Schaefer '10, politics.
  • An study of democratic visions within educational theories, with a historical case study in progressive education. Garth Sutherland '10, politics and American studies.
  • An exploration of power dynamics in the creative process through political theory and dance, including choreographic work exploring memory and power. Katherine Partington '09, political science and dance.
  • A study of who one's Christian beliefs affect one's social interactions and understanding of suffering, including an internship at an orphanage in Oaxaca, Mexico. Ryan Dolan '09, religion and political science.

Meg Mott became interested in political theory while working as a court advocate for a battered women’s shelter. Having worked as a paralegal in the 1980s, she was confused by some of the doctrines emerging in feminist jurisprudence. "The part of me that was a feminist was delighted to see women’s testimony taken so seriously. The part of me that was a paralegal was worried about the erosion of due process. It was only when I went to graduate school and studied the Spanish Inquisition that I began to see how narrowly domestic violence had been framed.” Meg teaches political theory in order to broaden the discussion beyond the terms offered by neoliberalism.

Teaching Philosophy

Meg uses two strategies to build intellectual capacities: the Commonplace Book and the debate. The Commonplace Book is an early modern device that works partly as a reading journal and partly as a collection of important quotations. Where the Commonplace Book is private, slow, and introspective, debate is public, fast, and, at times, aggressive. Both of these capacities are necessary for a democracy. The Commonplace Book encourages careful interpretations of competing arguments. Debates encourage commitment to a particular point of view. Both of these activities provide the basis for public deliberation and energetic classroom discussions.

Scholarly Activities

Since 2014, Meg has been focusing on two contentious issues, the War on Drugs and Title IX policies to end sexual assault on college campuses. While the former receives the support of conservatives and the latter of liberals, both traffic in the rhetoric of safety and accountability. Despite this tough talk, neither of these policies have eradicated the problem they purport to solve. Meg uses the canon of political theory, including Catholic political thought, to step out of neoliberal rhetoric of personal responsibility, arguing for more socially-minded solutions.

Selected Publications

  • “Pope Francis and the War on Drugs,” in When Politics and Theology Meet: Pope Francis as a Global Actor, edited by Paul Manuel, et al. Palgrave MacMillan (forthcoming).
  • “Sex in the Era of Consent,” in Street-Level Sovereignty: A Jurisprudence of the Everyday, edited by Sarah Marusek and John Brigham, Rowman & Littlefield (forthcoming).
  • “Want to Study the Nature of Power? Start by Moving the Chairs,” PS: Political Science & Politics (July 2015).
  • "How many colleges mishandle sexual assault cases – and what to do about it," Washington Post (July 31, 2014).
  • "Does ‘restorative justice’ in campus sexual assault cases make sense?" Washington Post (August 29, 2014).
  • Passing Our Lives through the Fire of Thought: The Personal Essay in the Political Theory Classroom," PS: Political Science & Politics, 41 (1) 2008.
  • "Une Messe est Possible": The Imbroglio of the Catholic Church in Contemporary Latin Europe," with Paul Christopher Manuel, in Catholic Church and the Nation-State: Comparative Perspectives, Georgetown Univ. Press. 2006.
  • Politics & Social Change in Latin America (with Howard J. Wiarda), Praeger Press, 2003.

Education

B.A., Norwich University, 1992; Ph.D., University of Massachusetts at Amherst, 2001; Marlboro College, 1999–

Gabriel Naughton (classics fellow) • Classics

A student of classics at St. John's College, University of Oxford, Gabriel Naughton joins Marlboro as the latest in a long line of Oxford Classics Fellows. His research interests range across the literary, historical, and art-historical. "My coursework combined a literary and historical approach, asking in what ways and with what success ancient historians across different periods managed to convey the experience of the individual," says Gabe. He also has an interest in the educational value of poetry, especially Lucretius' monumental Epicurean masterpiece, the De Rerum Natura. He has tutored many students in Latin, and enjoys these opportunities to read more widely beyond his course syllabus. He was also a project coordinator officer for Schools Plus Committee, Oxford's largest student-led charity, overseeing 31 tutoring projects across primary and secondary schools in Oxfordshire and tutoring English himself. Gabe was a writer, screen editor, and music editor for The Oxford Student, a university publication, writing about films, music, literature, theater, food, and education. 

Jean O'Hara • Environmental Studies, Gender Studies, Theater

Contact Info

johara@marlboro.edu

Plans Sponsored

"Un/Burial," a performance art piece that addresses the intergenerational trauma caused by the Korean War and subsequent diaspora. Nancy Son '15, politics and performance studies.

With almost two decades of experience as a professional director, Jean O’Hara’s practice and theoretical work is informed by her desire to address marginalized voices. She has directed everything from professional theater to community performances, from Dell’ Arte International School of Physical Theatre student productions to Inuit performances at the Alianait Festival, Nanavut. In every venue she has pursued performances that critically examine cultural diversity, gender, and sexuality. She has also founded and directed three ensemble-based theater troupes that address issues of social justice. “I see theater and storytelling as an important way to connect, build community, and create a much-needed space for the variant voices in and outside the college to be heard.”

Teaching Philosophy

Jean sees the relationship between professors and students as dynamic and constantly unfolding. “I understand that I am not the only teacher in the classroom, and that if I create a safe space for learning, others will share their knowledge and insights,” she says. In her experience, teaching with enthusiasm and open-mindedness nurtures imagination and expands both students’ and teachers’ sense of what is possible. “I am always excited to be a part of stimulating artistic and intellectual discovery.” She has taught classes in acting, commedia, melodrama, clown, improvisation, physical theater, movement, theater of the oppressed, and world theater literature.

Scholarly Activities

Jean’s doctoral dissertation, “Up/Staging Two-Spirit Plays: Unsettling Sexuality and Gender” is a literary and historical analysis of two-spirit plays through a queer indigenous studies lens. She says, “My research critically examines the ‘imaginary Indian’ created by the colonial imperialist project, while investigating how two-spirit artists challenge and subvert such colonial imaginings.” Jean is the editor of the anthology, Two-Spirit Acts: Indigenous Queer Performances, and published “The Journey Home” in Salmon is Everything: Community-Based Theatre in the Klamath Watershed. She has presented several conference papers, and participated on panels, most recently at the Performance Studies International Conference, Stanford University.

Education

B.S., Rhode Island College, 1992; M.A., Humboldt State University, 2005; Ph.D., York University, 2013; Marlboro College, 2014 -

Matt Ollis • Mathematics

Contact Info

802-258-9215
matt@marlboro.edu

Plans Sponsored

  • "From graceful labelings of paths to cyclic solutions of the Oberwolfach problem" with Ambrose Sterr '07.
  • Co-authoring paper on "group theory" with Devin Willmott '11.
  • A study of the anatomy and physiology of the human kidney, with the goal of using mathematical tools to predict the severity of kidney disease. Rik Ganguly '10, biology and mathematics.
  • A study of several topics in mathematics, ranging from game theory to advanced calculus, with a focused examination of structure and narrative in games. Martin Cahill '10, mathematics and writing.
  • An investigation of issues in ecology and conservation biology with a focus on the impacts of human disturbance and mathematical analysis. Elizabeth Toleno '09, biology and mathematics.

A native of Birmingham, England, math professor Matt Ollis appreciates that Marlboro’s small classes allow him to give close attention to each student’s strengths and weaknesses, from teaching introductory courses to working in an advanced tutorial with a senior. “It has been more interesting teaching here from the start," he says. "Marlboro students are passionate about their work, whether it's someone delving deeply into a very specific math question or making interesting connections to other disciplines."

Teaching Philosophy

Matt doesn’t expect a flock of Marlboro students to embrace mathematics the way he has, but he does work to make it more accessible for non-mathematicians, particularly among those studying science. "To study mathematics," he says, "you have to arrange your thoughts in a specific way, and that can be very helpful in anything. In science, understanding the math that underlies the science can be especially helpful."

Scholarly Activities

Matt has a long-standing interest in combinatorics, also known as "the science of counting," which explores the different possible combinations of numbers within sets. Matt worked on combinatorial methods that can be used for everything from drug trials to cheese tastings. And then, of course, "It’s a great help for juggling," he says. "It gives you patterns you can follow." Matt is an active member of the Environmental Advisory Board, and introduced a class called How Environmentally Sustainable is Marlboro College? to engage students in the research and analysis needed to optimize the college's use of resources. He recently presented a talk at Middlebury college entitled, "The terrace: A useful tool for wine tasters, dancing children and hungry mathematicians."

Education

M.Sci., Queen Mary University of London, 1999; Ph.D., Queen Mary University of London, 2003; Marlboro College, 2003 –

Cathy Osman • Painting, Visual Arts

Contact Info

802-258-8293
cosman@marlboro.edu

Plans Sponsored

An artist well versed in diverse media, from painting and drawing to printmaking and experimental works, Cathy Osman taught at Smith, Mount Holyoke, and Hampshire Colleges before coming to Marlboro. Her perspective on the visual arts, as both a creative and a problem-solving process, ties in well with Marlboro's approach to liberal studies. "One learns to balance success with experimentation, and work through the discomfort of not knowing," says Cathy. "This unknowing, as mysterious as it sounds, is critical to the defining elements of art. One must have patience and curiosity for this course of action, which yields not only a tangible object but also skills for engaging in complex thinking and connection to the outside world."

Teaching Philosophy

"My approach to teaching is to encourage students to see themselves as makers," says Cathy. "The prime skill that we all need in that search is hard work—coming to the challenge of art making each day whether or not one feels inspired, with the goal of acting and thinking at once. Making is thinking." Critical to Cathy's teaching is establishing strong foundations for art students. "Although we are in a climate of continual change, a climate in which traditional values in art are in constant question, students need to be given solid skills in perception, close observation and careful analytic thinking."

Scholarly Activities

Cathy continues to be active in her own studio and present her work in group and solo exhibitions throughout New England and New York. "I make images that gather and reorganize information from nature," she says. "I like picking up and discarding, weaving and unraveling an image until I am surprised." Her work was featured in the Winter-Spring 2003 Potash Hill and on the cover of The Massachusetts Review Winter 2003. In recent years she has collaborated with other faculty and students on grant-funded trips to Cambodia and Vietnam, where they participated in service learning projects and shared with local artists and artisans.

Education

B.F.A., University of California at Berkeley, 1977; M.A., University of California at Berkeley, 1979. Marlboro College, 1997 -

Jenny Ramstetter • Biology, Environmental Studies

Contact Info

802-258-9216
jenram@marlboro.edu

Plans Sponsored

A biologist with a passion for rare plant conservation, Jenny Ramstetter graduated from Marlboro College herself. She earned her Ph.D. from the University of Massachusetts, with a dissertation on the dynamics of pollination and fertilization in two wild plant species, and did postdoctoral research on rare plants in France. Jenny recognizes that biology is only one of many pieces to the conservation ‘puzzle.’ "One of the most exciting things about being at Marlboro is that it offers so many opportunities to integrate biology with policy issues and cultural considerations," says Jenny, who has team-taught a course in Conservation Biology with economics professor Jim Tober.

Teaching Philosophy

In all of her courses, from general biology (which she co-teaches with biologist Jaime Tanner) to plant physiology or evolution, Jenny seeks to impart not merely detail, but an understanding of processes and relationships. "I also try to help students understand what constitutes a good question in biology," she says. "Some of the questions that seem most fascinating are broad and unmanageable. The biologist’s job is to ask smaller questions, and use the answers to address larger questions."

Scholarly Activities

Jenny’s abiding concern is for protecting biodiversity at multiple levels—populations, species, communities and ecosystems—and understanding the biology of these systems is crucial to that effort. She has done extensive fieldwork to conserve three rare plant species in New England: Ludwigia polycarpa, Cynoglossum virginianum and Triphora trianthophora, or three birds orchid. Jenny was recognized for this work by the New England Wild Flower Society, which presented her with the Vermont State Award in 2005.

Jenny has provided guidance on rare plants in Vermont's Flora Advisory Group (FLAG) and served on the Vermont Endangered Species Committee, advising the Natural Resources Agency on conservation. As a member of the conservation commission in the town of Marlboro, she helped initiated conservation of a 500-acre conservation area on Hogback Mountain. She continues to contribute to the conservation of this vital area through class field studies and collaborations with the local elementary school.

Education

B.S., Marlboro College, 1981; M.A., University of Montana, 1983; Ph.D., University of Massachusetts, Amherst, 1988; Post-Doctoral Research Fellow, Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique, Montpellier, France, 1988 - 1989, Marlboro College, 1989 -

Kate Ratcliff • American Studies, Gender Studies

Contact Info

802-258-9256
ratcliff@marlboro.edu

Plans Sponsored

  • There’s Nothing Like a Broadway Show: An examination of musical theater in American culture. Emily Cox '13, theater
  • Grant-funded research on the psychological, cultural and social forces shaping the lives and identity formation of adolescent girls, including an interview-based study (with Olivia Sanders '10).
  • A critique of democratic theory and practice in the antebellum era, focusing on the implications of the 1828 presidential election for republican participation. Keara Castaldo '10, American studies and politics.
  • An exploration of how technology and mass communication have shaped the nature of community and public discourse in the United States. Adam Keller '10, American studies.

When Kate Ratcliff was finishing her doctorate in American studies at the University of Minnesota she wanted to find a position where teaching was the institutional priority and where faculty members were encouraged to teach broadly. "My faculty mentors told me the college I dreamed of did not exist," says Kate. "They did not know about Marlboro." Kate's teaching ranges from the Federalist Papers to post–World War II television sitcoms, and she team-teaches courses with colleagues in the visual arts and natural sciences. "The historically informed, interdisciplinary orientation of American studies offers an important counterpoint to the radically ahistorical and decontextualized nature of so much of our contemporary public discourse," she says.

Teaching Philosophy

All of Kate's courses engage critically with the concept of "America" and with the diversity of the American experience, especially in terms of race, ethnicity, class and gender. "My students grapple with the profound tension in U.S. national identity between an ideal of inclusion based on a shared commitment to the principles of freedom, equality and democracy, and ongoing patterns of exclusion that have limited those 'universal' entitlements to particular groups of people," she says. Kate enjoys helping students identify and use the primary historical source materials that will bring their subject alive and make them appreciate what it means to practice history. "I want my students to understand the inherently creative nature of historical study," she says. "History is not simply a matter of learning what happened in the past; it is a process of selecting, ordering and interpreting past events and experiences. I want students to see that they have a stake in that process. The stories we tell about the past shape the way we perceive the present and envision the future."

Scholarly Activities

Kate's doctoral work is a study of the rise of the American suburb and the emergence of a new middle class culture in the late 19th and 20th centuries, examining changes in family life and gender roles during the transition from the Victorian Age to a secular, consumer-oriented society. She was one of three finalists for the national Gabriel Prize for the best dissertation in American Studies, and was awarded a National Endowment for the Humanities summer stipend. Kate has enjoyed giving public lectures over the years on topics ranging from immigration policy to Cold War American culture to suburban domestic architecture. She is collaborating with choreographer Candice Salyers on a joint presentation to appear the Brattleboro Museum and Art Center, titled "Reading the Female Body: Gender and the Politics of Viewing," sponsored by the Vermont Performance Lab.

Education

B.A., Colgate University, 1980; M.A., University of Minnesota, Ph.D., University of Minnesota, 1989; University of Minnesota Doctoral Dissertation Fellowship, 1987 - 1988; Marlboro College, 1989 -

Felicity Ratté • Art History

Contact Info

802-258-9271
fratte@marlboro.edu

Plans Sponsored

  • A study of cultural heritage and its destruction in the post-war Balkans as well as a comparative art and architectural analysis of urban spaces and their transformation in the region. Colby Silver ’11, Cultural History & Art History.
  • An investigation of the issues concerning domestic life during the Dutch Golden Age through a focused analysis of the interiors painted by Johannes Vermeer and a study of the dollhouses produced during the same period. Marielle Clark ’12, Art History.

Felicity Ratté teaches across the discipline of art history from antiquity to modern times and from New York to Istanbul. Although specializing in 13th and 14th century Italian painting and architecture, over the course of her time at Marlboro she has developed an interest in Southeast Asian art and architecture, Islamic Art and Architecture of the Mediterranean world and contemporary public art all over. Felicity is continuously striving to make her art history offerings globally inclusive. "I have begun to think of my discipline in a much more cross-disciplinary way," she says. She served as dean of faculty and graduate education from 2005 to 2010 and director of world studies from 2003 to 2005.

Teaching Philosophy

"I think about the art history curriculum as serving two related but distinct purposes," says Felicity. Her first objective is to impart to her students an understanding of the methodologies and issues that surround the discipline. The second is to give her students "a sense of the power of visual images for their lives and for history." By providing "a whole array of courses that deal with the question of how images function in society at different historical moments," Felicity endeavors to meet these two aims.

Scholarly Activities

Felicity is the author of the book Picturing The City in Medieval Italian Painting (McFarland Press: 2006) and numerous articles. She contributed an article to Potash Hill about her research on public art found on trucks in Calcutta, India in 2005 and another on her recent research into urban design in the Islamic Mediterranean in 2011.

  • “Civic identity and urban experience through architecture and traveler’s tales: a comparative analysis of Florence and Cairo in the fourteenth century” at Cities & Societies in Comparative Perspective, European Association for Urban History – 11th International Conference on Urban History, Prague, Czech Republic, 29 August – 1 September, 2012.
  • “Urban Design, Monumental Building and Ritual Practice in the Islamic cities of the Mediterranean – preliminary thoughts on a comparative analysis,” invited lecture, American University in Iraq – Suleymani, Northern Iraq, March 9, 2011.

Education

B.A., Tufts University, 1985; M.A., New York University Institute of Fine Arts, 1988; Ph.D., New York University Institute of Fine Arts, 1995. Marlboro College, 1997 -

Matan Rubinstein (sabbatical fall 2018) • Music

Contact Info

802-258-9286
matan@marlboro.edu

Matan Rubinstein says he thinks of his role as a teacher "primarily as an enabler and facilitator of my students' ideas, providing them with information and my own insight, and encouraging them to attain their own. Above all, I find satisfaction when interacting on the basis of curiosity, passion for ideas and creative connection-making between disparate notions into coherent, reasoned structures."

Matan comes to Marlboro after four years as a lecturer at the University of Wisconsin at Whitewater. He brings a wide range of talents and experiences: he's an accomplished composer of electronic music, a talented and well respected improvising pianist, and a scholar with a wide background in music theory and history. And he is a passionate teacher with wide interdisciplinary interests.

Teaching Philosophy

Matan believes that "ideally, musical learning should be grounded in practice. Whether singing species counterpoint, harmonizing melodies at the piano, or conducting one's own compositions, the strongest possible understanding of music comes from doing." He also believes that there should be no fundamental separation between the skills, craft and theory of musical study. Rather, they form an aggregate, each aspect enforcing the other. Thus, he wishes to integrate composition, improvisation and performance, taking care to introduce the practice of music like singing and conducting into classes, and provide some history and theory into practice- or skill-oriented classes. Matan approaches music teaching as an exercise in dialogue in which both teacher and student explore more and better ways in which to make and hear music. He thrives on such dialogue with his students and promotes active engagement in classroom activities and discussion. Matan's expectations of students, while high, are centered on the measure of their improvement.

Scholarly Activities

Matan is a prolific composer of music that is divergent in practice, medium and method. He is a frequent collaborator with makers in other disciplines, and he frequently makes music for dance and film. He is also active as a performer and has several recordings to his credit.

Selected Publications

Concert Music

  • 2010- Palimpsest for Trombone and "Tape," commissioned by Trombonist Michael Dugan for performance in 2011.
  • 2009 - Le Invisibili for an 11 piece ensemble and laptop computer; 35 segments of music which combine in multiple ways to produce up to 27,300 pieces.
  • 2007 - This Room for Mezzo-Soprano, Disklavier and Vibraphone, premiered at SONICT concert series at University of Wisconsin, Whitewater.

Dance

  • 2011 – Haenyeo, commissioned by choreographer Peggy Choi, premiered July 2011, part of a cycle of up-coming pieces inspired by the diving women of Jeju Island in South Korea.
  • 2010 - Knotcracker, commissioned by Li Chiao-Ping Dance Company, premiered December 2010.
  • 2006 - Arrivals, part of a multi-media work commissioned by Li Chiao-Ping Dance Company and Douglas Rosenberg.

Film Scores

  • 2007 - Verge, a Dance film produced by WPT. Director: Douglas Rosenberg.
  • 2001 - The Book of Small, silent film. Director: Garret Chingery.

Education

B.M., Manhattan School of Music, 1999; M.M., University of Wisconsin - Madison, 2003; D.M.A., University of Wisconsin - Madison, 2009: Marlboro College 2011 -

Lynette Rummel • Politics

Contact Info

802-258-9267
lynrum@marlboro.edu

Plans Sponsored

The infectious enthusiasm of politics professor Lynette Rummel builds on her valuable field experience in international, comparative, and area studies. She came to Marlboro following a three-year stint as a Fulbright-Hays lecturer in Tunisia, where she and her husband (also a Fulbright scholar) taught political science. Lynette earned her doctorate in political science from U.C.L.A., taught at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University and served as a visiting fellow at the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, Colorado, working on an African drought research project.

Teaching Philosophy

As an undergraduate, Lynette seriously considered enrolling at Marlboro, but instead attended a Midwestern school where she had to fight to develop the kind of customized curriculum for herself that all Marlboro students can take for granted. "What I did with so much difficulty...is what Marlboro is all about," she says. "That’s why I’m so excited to be here, in an institution that stresses independence and interdisciplinary work." While Lynette encourages theoretical rigor and sophistication in her students, her own intellectual passion grows out of a commitment to empirical research and fieldwork. "At the bottom line, I hope to help each student not only better understand the world in which they live, but think about what they might do to make a difference as they go forward."

Scholarly Activities

Lynette’s graduate experience was a mix of political science and African studies. Her master’s work focused on the history and politics of sub-Saharan Africa, with particular emphasis on East and West Africa. For her doctoral dissertation she turned her attention to North Africa, with a study of privatization in Algeria. "My research interests pivot around the questions of global inequality in the world, both economic and political, and for the most part are regionally grounded in Africa and the Middle East," she says. She recently received a faculty curriculum development grant to conduct research on ethnicity, identity and nationalism in the fledgling nation of Macedonia.

Education

B.A., Manchester College, 1976; M.A., 1979, C.Phil., 1983, Ph.D., 1989, U.C.L.A.; Visiting Fulbright Professor, Tunisia, 1990-1993; Marlboro College, 1993 –

Sara Salimbeni • Astronomy, Environmental Studies, Physics

Contact Info

802-258-9229
salimbeni@marlboro.edu

Plans Sponsored

Observations & Interpretations: Solar physics and the quantum foundations. Trevor Bowen '12, physics.

"I think that Marlboro is the perfect environment for my teaching career," says Sara Salimbeni. "The wide range of physics topics I need to teach is a welcome challenge. I feel particularly comfortable working with small groups of students and in a one to one setting. This is the most effective environment to share my knowledge, skills and experiences with students. Each day that I spend at Marlboro I learn something as a teacher and as a human being, and I believe that this has a strong, positive effect on my teaching."

Teaching Philosophy

"I started my career focusing on research," says Sara. "For years, I explored astrophysical research, and in particular focused on galaxy evolution. Research is rewarding - physics and in particular astrophysics are the engine of my desire for knowledge. But recently, undergraduate students became involved in my research. Working and interacting with them reminded me of my childhood dream to teach. It made me realize how the reward that comes from mere research work cannot compare with the strong feelings that come from sharing my knowledge with other human beings. No beautiful galaxy or intriguing question can give me the same energy as that of a curious student eager to learn." Sara has taught courses for science and non-science students, and while developing a new foundation course in astronomy, developed the structure, experiments and activities that constituted that class. She says that "this creative process made me understand that the interaction with the students is not the only aspect that I really enjoy about teaching. The process of inventing curriculum which precedes the class is food for my mind."

Scholarly Activities

Observations of the nearby universe show a variety of galaxy types, morphologies, colors, etc. The galaxy
spatial distribution looks like a spider web, with emptier regions (called voids), and regions where the density of
galaxies is higher (this is, galaxy filaments, walls, groups and clusters). Many studies have been done so far to
understand how our universe has evolved into its current configuration.

Sara says that "within this broad view some of the key questions that drive my research are: What are the physical mechanisms that trigger and shut down the star formation in galaxies? What drives the galaxy stellar mass assembly through cosmic time? How do primeval galaxies evolve to form the morphological variety (Hubble sequence) that we observe today? How does the local density of a galaxy’s birth place influence its evolution? During my research career I have investigated a number of these topics, using various methodologies. One method of investigation I adopted, is to track the evolution of statistical properties of galaxy samples as a function of cosmic time. Because the velocity of light is finite, by watching the universe at various distances from us, we are able to observe a range of times throughout its history. Using statistical properties, it is possible to untangle the dierent star formation histories of galaxies."

Selected Publications

Selected Public Presentations

  • "The environmental properties of galaxies from the GOODS-SOUTH survey up to z ∼ 2.5," December 2009, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, invited talk.
  • "Uncertainties and systematic effects on the estimate of stellar masses in high z galaxies," September 2008, Probing stellar populations out to the distant universe, Cefalu, Italy.
  • "The red and blue galaxy luminosity function in the GOODS field: evidence for an excess of red dwarf galaxies," August 2007, A century of cosmology: past, present and future, San Servolo, Venice, Italy.

Education

Laurea, The Sapienza University of Rome, 2003; Ph.D., Tor Vergata University of Rome, 2007; Marlboro College, 2011-

Nelli Sargsyan • Anthropology

Contact Info

nsargsyan@marlboro.edu

With a wealth of ethnographic experience and a focus on multidisciplinary theorizations of social and cultural processes, Nelli Sargsyan brings sociocultural anthropology into the 21st century for Marlboro students. “My research explorations, as also echoed in my teaching, are theoretically informed by feminist cultural anthropology, linguistic anthropology, queer studies, and diaspora studies,” says Nelli. She has taught in culturally diverse college settings, from State University of New York at Albany to Yerevan State Linguistic University, in Armenia, and welcomes the opportunity to collaborate with colleagues and students pursuing a variety of geographical, topical, and methodological interests, including international ethnographic research.

Teaching Philosophy

“I approach teaching as an opportunity for cultivating active social agency by engaging my students in process-based, multidisciplinary, active learning experiences,” says Nelli. She enjoys facilitating her students’ process of becoming active social agents by inviting them to explore and raise issues of social justice or injustice that they are concerned about. “Students have often commented how much they appreciate the independent critical thinking skills that they have developed through reading, discussion, and writing in my courses,” she says.  “When they notice that the argument or claim that they thought was common sense is not shared by others, it can be a profound learning moment.”

Nelli has taught a range of content-based writing courses, and considers writing an integral part of learning. “I approach writing as a thinking process,” she says. “My aim is to equip students with the ability to write clearly in order to be better able to process and effectively communicate complex information in and outside of academia.”

Scholarly Activities

Nelli’s doctoral dissertation examined how Armenian men and women negotiate their gender, ethnic, and sexual difference in the U.S. and in Armenia, a post-Soviet country at the intersection of conflicting geopolitical interests. Her dissertation research has resulted in a number of conference papers and publications, including a chapter in the book Creoles, Diasporas and Cosmopolitanisms: The Creolization of Nations, Cultural Migrations, Global Languages, and Literature. Her article “Contributing to the Synergistic Circulation of Knowledge” in Anthropology News reflects here engagement with queer women’s activism in post-Soviet Armenia. “My current research is rooted in the continuing exploration of the symbiotic relationship between hetero-patriarchal nationalism and civic and artistic activism in post-Soviet societies,” she says.

Selected Publications

“Interrogating the Cosmopolitan: Carving and curving a queer discursive space within the Armenian heteronormative nationalism.” In Creoles, Diasporas, Cosmopolitanisms, David Gallagher (ed.) Palo Alto: Academica Press, 2011.

“Interviews with four artists from Queering Yerevan’s ‘Queering Translation’ art intervention." In Queered: What’s to be done with Xcentric art. Yerevan: Tigran Mets Press, 2011.

“Contributing to the synergistic circulation of knowledge.” Anthropology News, 52 (2): 11.

Education

B.A. Yerevan State Institute of Foreign Languages, 1997; M.A. State University of New York at Albany, 2008; Ph.D., State University of New York at Albany, 2013; Marlboro College, 2015 -

Tim Segar • Environmental Studies, Sculpture, Visual Arts

Contact Info

802-251-7612
tsegar@marlboro.edu

Plans Sponsored

  • A study in relief sculpture and works on paper that calls into question notions of the natural and the artificial, connected to research in art history on images of violence and monsters in 19th- and 21st-century art and popular culture. Laura Lancaster '10, visual arts/art history.
  • An exploration of the public service model in alternative architecture and its impact on the poor, communicated through ethnographic writing, film and design. Kenton Card '10, sociology.
  • A study of visual art exploring the contemporary relationship between humans, ecology and the built environment, accompanied by research in vernacular architecture and ecological design. Alisha Langerman '10, visual arts & environmental studies/ecological design.

Teaching art as part of a liberal education, as well as a discipline of its own, is important to Tim Segar. This has led him to teach courses both across the arts, collaborating with music and theater faculty, and with teachers of history, anthropology and poetry. His teaching reflects the work he does in his own studio insofar as he spends a roughly equal time working in two and three dimensions. "The teaching of drawing is a partner to the teaching of sculpture. While sculpture proceeds slowly and technically, drawing can more nimbly seek ideas and forms."

Teaching Philosophy

Tim says that the most delicate and important thing about teaching art is striking the right balance for students between information, inspiration, and permission. "Students of art need enough technique and process to act on their ideas. They also need to be inspired by the example of other artists—both historical and contemporary. They equally need permission to follow their own impulses and designs in order to test their work against the range of work they come to know. In the end that balance is a matter of paying attention to individuals and helping them find their own way." Tim maintains that even though sculpture is a technical medium, so much can be learned from humble materials and simple techniques, using cardboard, clay, plaster and wood. "The development of a vocabulary of form is far more important, in the beginning, than a range of complex techniques," he says. Tim welcomes students with Plans of Concentration in sculpture, installation art, video, printmaking, kinetic art, art from recycled materials, architecture, landscape design, sculpture-based photography, drawing and environmental studies. "I encourage inventiveness, the connection of subject matter to form and the developed sense of craft for all students who enter on Plan with me."

Scholarly Activities

Tim has exhibited his work regularly throughout the Northeast, in California and in France. Recently, Tim showed his work at the Oxbow Gallery in Northampton, Massachusetts, in 2008, and at the Open Square in Holyoke, Massachusetts, in 2009. At the latter he presented work entitled "Almost Machines," geared and wheeled sculptures that are kinetic, or appear to be. In 2010, Tim had an exhibit that used some of the same wood-bending techniques but presented forms that became surfaces on which to draw.

In 2007, Tim collaborated with theater professor Paul Nelsen and music professor Stan Charkey to initiate the Summer Arts Intensive program, a summer semester focused on experiential learning both here in Marlboro and in London. Over a period of seven weeks, students attended more than 80 museums, concerts, films, plays, operas, ballets and artists' studios, culminating with independent projects in the medium of their choice.

In 2009, Tim led a trip to central Vietnam with several students to study the architecture, sculpture and culture of Champa, a Hindu kingdom prominent in the region for 16 centuries until the 1800s. Since returning he has lectured on this subject locally and in Northampton, Massachusetts. He plans to present this work at the 2011 meeting of the College Art Association.

Education

B.F.A., Rhode Island School of Design, 1975; M.A., University of California at Berkeley, 1978; M.F.A., University of California at Berkeley, 1979, Marlboro College, 1998-

John Sheehy • Literature, Writing

Contact Info

802-258-9268
jsheehy@marlboro.edu

Plans Sponsored

  • An exploration through writing and photography of the possibility of finding meaning in loss, especially as it relates to family. Michael Hamby '10, writing and photography.
  • A study of language, meaning and faith in the work of Cormac McCarthy and T.S. Eliot, including a paper discussing epistemic themes in Eliot's Four Quartets. Seth Sempere '09, literature and writing.
  • An exploration of family and home in a collection of paintings, a body of creative nonfiction and a critical essay examining Marilynne Robinson's Housekeeping. Heather Collins '09, visual arts and writing.

"Writing is absolutely necessary if you want to know something,” says John Sheehy, who came to Marlboro after teaching composition and literature at University of Washington. He explains that writing is an essential part of the learning process because it forces people to organize and present their thoughts with a discipline, something people don’t always do when they are simply reading or talking about what they’ve read. John's literature seminars cover everything from Faulkner to Emerson, Toni Morrison, Norman MacLean and Cormac McCarthy.

Teaching Philosophy

John helps students determine the strengths of their writing, whether those strengths are found in academic papers or emails to friends, and then capitalize on them, using them as a basis for improving all facets of their writing. "Good writing comes from everywhere," he says. "Most bad writing comes from bad teaching." John maintains that email writing discussion groups are an excellent forum for students to critique each others’ work and to present their own. "In email," he says, "people are unconsciously particular about their tone, content, word choice—essentially their delivery—and they are very aware of their audience. These are really the foundations of all good writing. The job of the writing student is to become aware of these aspects of their writing and to learn how to control them."

Scholarly Activities

John had a story included in the book The Good Men Project: Real Stories from the Front Lines of Modern Manhood, edited by Tom Matlack. The book features personal essays by a broad range of men, describing their challenges, triumphs, and life-changing moments; John's story, "Skeff," describes his relationship with his father. He also had a nonfiction story, titled "Red Line," published in the fall 2009 issue of Fourth Genre.

Education

B.A., Montana State University, 1987; M.A., University of Washington, 1993; Ph.D., University of Washington, 1997; Marlboro College, 1998 -

Todd Smith • Biochemistry, Chemistry, Environmental Studies

Contact Info

802-251-7676
todds@marlboro.edu

Plans Sponsored

  • Thoughtful Zymurgy: A holistic study of the art and practice of brewing beer. Elliot Samuel-Lamm '13, biochemistry and film-video studies.
  • Laboratory research on the effect of an endocrine-disrupting chemical, bisphenol-A, on gene expression in chick testes. Evelyn Crawford '10, biochemistry/avian biology.
  • A study of white-nose syndrome and population decline in bats, including laboratory research exploring the cause of the syndrome. Morgan Ingalls '10, biochemistry/molecular biology.
  • A paper examining post-petroleum energy sources, focusing on low-input, high-diversity grasslands for ethanol production. Sam Lowenthal '09, environmental studies.

"Some background in chemistry and biochemistry is useful to all of us," says Todd Smith. "For example current debates about genetic engineering and genetically-modified foods, and the arguments for and against them, can be quite technical. The same is true for concerns about pesticides and their effects on human health. If students have exposure to ideas in chemistry they are better prepared to evaluate the information they’re bombarded with. We get to see on a daily basis why it’s relevant." Todd teaches courses in chemistry, biochemistry, human physiology, and molecular biology, while working with students in tutorials on topics ranging from avian physiology to Alzheimer’s disease and neuronal function.

Teaching Philosophy

Todd likes "giving students as many ways to explore as they can,” with texts, current research articles, labs and fieldwork. "I want to show students that people are using these techniques in their cutting-edge research." In addition to encouraging understanding of the social relevance of chemistry and biochemistry, Todd helps his students see the relevance of sharing findings: "The goal of performing research is to relate it to other people. Being able to effectively communicate what you’ve found is integral to doing science." Todd enjoys students who are excited by the idea of a self-designed study involving lab work or field work, eager to work in an interdisciplinary fashion and willing to keep an open mind about where their studies may take them.

Scholarly Activities

As a doctoral student at the University of Rhode Island, Todd studied heat-shock proteins, which provide cells temporary protection from environmental shocks. Todd’s current research focuses on anti-freeze proteins in fish, and how fish control the timing and production of those proteins. Todd has been an ad hoc reviewer for the journal Marine Ecology Progress Series. In 2009, Todd taught a week-long biochemistry workshop at Hue University, Vietnam, regarding applications of biochemistry to organic pollutants in wastewater. He also led a Hill Center for World Studies "Empires & Science" workshop at the Watson Institute, Brown University, in 2008.

Selected Publications

"RNA-DNA ratio in scales from juvenile cod (Gadus morhau) provides a non-lethal measure of feeding condition," (with L. Buckley). Transactions of the American Fisheries Society. 132 (2003):9-17.

Education

B.S., Middlebury College, 1986; M.S., University of Maine, 1991; Ph.D., University of Rhode Island, 1997; Marlboro College 1999 –

Jaime Tanner • Biology, Environmental Studies

Contact Info

802-258-9309
jtanner@marlboro.edu

Plans Sponsored

The One Constant thing: The Role of the Body in Cognition, Chandra Wade '15, biology and religion.

A study of the vocal communication of whales and its role in speciation, as well as a body of artwork exploring fantastical narrative by using constructed habitats and animal and human subjects, Amber Claxton '15, biology and visual arts.

Human papillomavirus (HPV) prevention through Western and Eastern lenses: The biology of HPV, vaccine acceptance in China, and dietary therapy, Alison Wu '14, biology and Asian studies.

With a doctoral degree in both zoology and ecology, evolutionary biology and behavior, Jaime Tanner has spent much of her academic career studying spotted hyenas in Kenya's Masai Mara Game Reserve. In addition to her field research in Kenya, Jaime taught a study-abroad program on the behavioral ecology of African mammals. She also received the College of Natural Science Excellence-In-Teaching Award at Michigan State University.

Teaching Philosophy

"I strive to equip students with the tools they'll need to answer questions about the natural world," says Jaime, who brings her appreciation of experiential and student-driven learning into the classroom. "I want them to know how to think critically about science and how to ask good scientific questions." She conducts discussion-based classes and works from real-life and field examples as much as possible. In 2010, Jaime's Biology of Mammals class joined her in Kenya to observe mammals in their natural habitat and to understand the relationships between humans and wildlife in and around Masai Mara.

Scholarly Activities

"My research takes an integrative approach, combining behavioral, morphological and performance data to understand developmental changes in hyenas and other members of the Order Carnivora," says Jaime. Her field studies have included measuring the biting force of hyenas, not a task for the faint of heart, and comparing skull structure in hyenas of assorted ages. This research is part of a growing body of literature demonstrating that the relationship between morphology and performance changes as an animal grows and faces different challenges. In addition to her own publications, Jaime is a reviewer for Behaviour, Journal of Mammalogy, Journal of Morphology and Canadian Journal of Zoology.

Selected Publications

  • "Ontogenetic change in skull morphology and mechanical advantage in the spotted hyena, (Crocuta crocuta)." Tanner, J.B., M.L. Zelditch, B.L. Lundrigan & K.E. Holekamp. Journal of Morphology, 271 (2010): 353-365.
  • "Post-weaning maternal effects and the evolution of female dominance in the spotted hyena." Watts, H.E., J.B. Tanner, B.L. Lundrigan & K.E. Holekamp. Proceedings of the Royal Society B 276 (2009): 2291-2298.
  • "Of Arcs and Vaults: The biomechanics of bone-cracking in spotted hyenas (Crocuta crocuta)." Tanner, J.B., E.R. Dumont, S.T. Sakai, B.L. Lundrigan & K.E. Holekamp. Biological Journal of the Linnean Society 95 (2008): 246-255.
  • "Ontogenetic variation in the play behavior of spotted hyenas." Tanner, J.B., L. Smale & K.E. Holekamp. Journal of Developmental Processes 2(2)(2007):5-30.

Education

B.S., University of Massachusetts, 1998; Ph.D., Michigan State University, 2007 Darwin Post-Doctoral Fellow, University of Massachusetts, 2008; Marlboro College, 2009 -

Tom Toleno • Environmental Studies, Psychology

Contact Info

802-258-9276
ttoleno@marlboro.edu

Plans Sponsored

Tom Toleno has broad interests in psychology, from the history and theory of the science to educational, developmental and clinical psychology. His long-standing interest in perception is based on his graduate work at Cornell University under the tutelage of the late James J. Gibson. Tom believes the study of psychology is especially useful for liberal arts students, because it places so much emphasis on "the individual process," which students can apply to their own lives. "Psychology is distinguished from other fields by its emphasis on a person's individual experience in understanding phenomena."

Teaching Philosophy

Tom’s teaching of general psychology is inspired by the field’s historical and philosophical roots. A strong proponent of individualized education, he maintains that accessibility to faculty "provides the motivation and context for learning to take place." Tom adds, "Any project students undertake is secondary to the skills they learn and the way they integrate and synthesize what they have learned."

Scholarly Activities

Tom’s current research proceeds from his two Fulbright teaching grants (2002-3) in Malawi, Africa, where he became head of the department of education and teaching studies at Mzuzu University. There he built up the research component of the university's educational psychology program, training professors and advising upperclassmen. He continues to travel with colleagues in Malawi to support research in child developmental studies, motivation and leadership in schools. Tom feels "honored to share his knowledge of research and to apply basic psychological principles to educating the Malawian people."

Education

B.A., University of Nevada, 1966; Advanced Graduate Study, Cornell University, 1972; Marlboro College, 1972 -

John Willis • Photography, Visual Arts

Contact Info

802-258-9272
jwillis@marlboro.edu

Plans Sponsored

  • Exposures: Cross-Cultural Photography Journeys for Youth. John co-founded this program with Marlboro students, and the current director, Erin Barnard '03, is one of his former students and co-founders. In 2010, John took three Marlboro students to the Pine Ridge Reservation as part of a community engagement grant, to help set up an online youth curriculum.
  • A critical investigation into the ethical issues surrounding representation in documentary photography. Marcus DeSieno '10, photography.
  • An exploration of how gendered identity is created in a mass-mediated society, drawing on socio-historical analysis and photography. Lucy DeLaurentis '10, photography & American studies.
  • An exploration, through writing and photography, of the possibility of finding meaning in loss, especially as it relates to family. Michael Hamby '10, writing/photography.

John Willis teaches photography to students who find interesting ways to combine fine arts photography with academic work. John’s teaching credits include the Boston Museum School, the Zone VI workshops, and Harvard University. He also co-founded In-sight, a Brattleboro-based project that uses photography as a medium for reaching out to local young people.

Teaching Philosophy

John sees the classroom as a place for constructive criticism. "The discipline of fine art photography requires a fine blend of technical and expressive concerns," he says. "As an artist and a teacher I am constantly seeking new ways to execute this blend." John challenges his students to take photographs that comment on the images they capture. A recent project for advanced students involved photographing residents in a local nursing home; an emotional assignment for some, but one that helped students appreciate the tragedy as well as the beauty that often lies on the other side of the lens.

Scholarly Activities

John’s own work has been widely exhibited, and is in the permanent collection of the Boston Museum of Fine Arts. He describes his photography as "a mix of documentary and human images which comment on the human condition." In 2010 he published A View from the Rez (Center for American Places), a monograph of photographs and commentary developed in collaboration with people in the Oglala Lakota Sioux community at Pine Ridge Reservation, South Dakota. He collaborated with artist Tom Young on Recycled Realities, also published by the Center for American Places and Columbia College, in 2006. John was a featured photographer in the February/March 20065 issue of Watershed Magazine, and was also featured in the book Place, Art, and Self by Yi-Fu Tuan. He has participated in several Freeman Foundation-supported academic trips to Asia, including Cambodia, Vietnam and Japan.

John is co-founder and executive director of In-Sight Photography Project, in Brattleboro, Vermont, a volunteer program offering free classes for area youth to explore self-expression through photography. Many Marlboro students have contributed over the years as interns at In-Sight. John also co-founded and co-directs Exposures: Cross Cultural Photographic Journeys for Youth, bringing participants from Vermont and the Bronx to the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota. The participants shared photography lessons and life stories with each other in an effort to expand artistic and cultural horizons.

Education

A.A., Franconia College, 1977; B.A., Evergreen State College, 1979; M.F.A., Rhode Island School of Design, 1986; Marlboro College, 1991 –

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