Don Wyatt

I came to Middlebury in 1986 with no larger expectations than to be passing through for a year or two. I’d spent over a decade in the Boston area, which is a lot more bustling and crowded, so I found the serenity here kind of arresting. There is an allure to this place that, once it’s bitten you, you are largely smitten by it. Middlebury has become my home.

My professional realm here has expanded immeasurably, and I thank the students for that. Their driving interests have had a lot to do with bringing faculty members to Middlebury who are compatible with my own interests and goals as an instructor. I now find myself well fortified by a Chinese department that is, at least for a liberal arts institution, the marvel of departments. When I go to professional conferences, colleagues I meet sometimes ask me how many colleagues I have in, say, East Asian studies, and I can say, “close to 30.” That’s just overwhelming to most of them. They are lucky if they have one person.