Sally C. Holland has been named vice president for college advancement at Middlebury College. She comes to Middlebury from Williams College in Massachusetts. Holland assumes her new responsibilities as the College officially closes the books on its Bicentennial Campaign, a multi-year fundraising effort which exceeded its $200 million goal by more than $11 million. The campaign ended on June 30.
A graduate of the University of New Hampshire, Holland previously worked at The Williston School and Northfield Mount Hermon in Massachusetts, and at the Appalachian Mountain Club in Boston, New Hampshire's Franklin Pierce Law Center, and the Boston University School of Theology. She joins Middlebury fulltime Oct. 1.
National Wildlife magazine's April/May 2001 issue features a profile on Lara DuMond, Middlebury class of 2000, in a section titled "Conservation Heroes." The magazine reports on DuMond's senior year project at Middlebury-supported by a Campus Ecology Grant from the National Wildlife Federation-in which she studied a 12-acre wetland near Middlebury's new science center, Bicentennial Hall. DuMond's study focused the College's attention on the wetland and provided a plan for restoring native plant diversity and water flow to the area. To learn more about NWF's Campus Ecology Grants, see www.nwf.org/campus/fellowships .
Founded in 1987 by Middlebury theatre faculty members Richard Romagnoli and Cheryl Faraone, the Potomac Theatre Project is an alternative theatre company in residence at Olney Theatre Center in Olney, Md. The project presents theatrical works that engage political, social and cultural issues in a highly professional manner. Each summer the PTP collaborates with Olney Theatre Center to stage productions for D.C.-Maryland-Virginia audiences while serving as a training ground for young artists.
This year PTP presents two productions during Olney's Potomac Theatre Festival, one of which was written by Middlebury graduate Katharine Berry Swartz '95. British playwright David Hare's "Plenty" runs from Aug. 1-26, and Swartz's "Blue Forest" runs as a workshop production from Aug. 11-13.
Middlebury senior Megan West appears in the leading role in "Plenty," and the cast includes several other Middlebury graduates and current students-Tyson Lien '99, Sam Elmore '01 and James O. Dunn '01. Frank Labovitz '01 makes his PTP debut as costume designer.
"Blue Forest" includes in its cast a mix of Middlebury students and graduates, including Kristen Connolly '02, Carla Nassy '01 and Laura Yee '02.
The Potomac Theatre Project will present David Hare's "Plenty" Aug. 1-26, in the Olney Theatre Center's 4th annual Potomac Theatre Festival, in Olney, Md. Shown here with actors Lee Mikeska Gardner and Paul Morella is Middlebury College senior Megan West (far right), in the lead role of Susan Traherne.
Photograph by Matthew Soule, Middlebury College class of 2000.
A documentary produced in conjunction with Middlebury's recently completed Bicentennial celebration has won a Golden Eagle Award from the Washington, D.C.-based Council for International Non-theatrical Events (CINE). The council selected "The Pursuit of Truth," which focuses on the liberal arts tradition at the turn of the 21st century, as the winner in the education category in CINE's spring 2001 competition. Held each spring and fall, the CINE Golden Eagle Film and Video Competitions celebrate excellence in documentary and other informational film and video production.
Nancy Rome, a member of the Middlebury class of 1978, produced the documentary, and Will Melton, former Middlebury College vice president of external affairs, was executive producer.
Independent filmmaker Allen Moore directed the film. Moore has served as director of photography for several of filmmaker Ken Burns' films aired on PBS, including "The Civil War," "Baseball," "Thomas Jefferson" and "Lewis and Clark."
Among the 20 prominent writers teaching at the Bread Loaf Writers' Conference this year (August 15-26) is Vivian Gornick (right), a memoirist and essayist whose books include "Fierce Attachments," "Approaching Eye Level" and "The End of the Novel of Love."
Teaching poetry is Carl Phillips, the author of five books of poetry-"In the Blood," "Cortège," "From the Devotions," "Pastoral" and "The Tether." His translation of Sophocles' "Philoctetes" is forthcoming.
Andrea Barrett is a special guest faculty member this year. Her most recent book is "The Voyage of the Narwhal." Her other novels are "Lucid Stars," "Secret Harmonies," "The Middle Kingdom" and "The Forms of Water." She is also the author of "Ship Fever," a collection of short fiction, which received the 1996 National Book Award.
For a complete list of writers serving as faculty for this summer's conference, see /~blwc/faculty.html. 
More than 471 students enrolled this summer in programs at the four campuses where the Bread Loaf School of English offers classes, making this Middlebury program the largest graduate program in English in the world.
Both graduate students and outstanding undergraduates enroll in degree and non-degree programs, often returning over several summers to complete requirements. This year 232 students are studying in Ripton, Vt., while 81 study at Oxford in England, 82 in Santa Fe, N.M., and 76 in Juneau, Alaska, representing 40 states, the District of Columbia, and five foreign countries.
A highlight of the Bread Loaf curriculum at the Vermont campus is the theatre program, which offers instruction in acting, directing, playwriting, stagecraft and design. Established by Bread Loaf faculty member Alan MacVey, this program brings students into contact with theater professionals in all fields. Each summer professional actors come together to form the Bread Loaf Acting Ensemble. They participate in several small theatrical productions and one major production, and take part in classes in writing, dramatic literature and other forms of literary study.
This year's major production was Ibsen's "The Master Builder." A novel by University of Vermont faculty member David Huddle titled "Tenorman" was presented as a stage reading, and Tony Award-winning New York director Jack Hofsis staged a reading of a new translation of the Ibsen play titled "Little Eyolf."
Meanwhile, back on the main campus, the Middlebury Language Schools host some 1,150 students. Each summer, some pursue master's and doctoral degrees, while others seek only to acquire or hone language skills. Students include teachers, journalists, government agency workers, business people and other professionals, as well as undergraduates.
Athletic competition, music and theatrical performances, and art exhibits provide diversions for students immersed in the intensive programs. And, once again this year, an international film festival offered an opportunity to attend weekly screenings of major foreign films in each of the eight languages taught by the schools.
The language pledge obliges students to speak only their language of study. Students take the pledge quite seriously, as do members of the College staff who are careful to keep "language pollution" from disrupting the highly focused learning process.
Commencement speaker for the ceremonies in August is former U.S. ambassador to Switzerland and three-term governor of Vermont, Madeleine Kunin.