Middlebury College Mourns Passing of Student Ian Cameron ’14

Middlebury, Vt. — Middlebury College students, faculty and staff were saddened to learn today of the death of Ian Cameron ’14, who passed away on Saturday, June 29, in an automobile accident in Rhode Island. He was 24 years of age.

A resident of East Greenwich, R.I., Cameron was a “Feb” who planned to complete his joint major in sociology/anthropology and psychology in February 2014.

In an announcement to the campus community, Middlebury College President Ron Liebowitz said Cameron “made a lasting impression upon the faculty for his intellectual curiosity, his desire to connect with people, and his unbridled optimism.”

“Ian was always thoughtful and sensitive to the ideas and insights of others,” said Jon Isham, professor of economics and faculty director of the Center for Social Entrepreneurship. “He was always asking ‘why?’ based on his personal experiences and his hopes for the world.”

Suzanne Gurland, associate professor of psychology, termed him “a natural connector,” the type of person who reaches out to people to talk and make contact.

Linus Owens, associate professor of sociology and Cameron’s adviser, recalled that their last conversation was focused on what lay ahead. “All Ian and I could talk about was the future, and how excited he was to embrace it, to keep finding new ways to live his life in a meaningful way,” said Owens. “Ian had a knack for convincing even the most cynical person that there were reasons to be optimistic.”

Cameron was active in Ross Commons activities, the Center for Social Entrepreneurship, and the Poor Form Poetry Slam. Among his friends at Middlebury, he was known for his sincerity and determination to follow through.

Survivors include Cameron’s mother, Lisa B. Cameron, and his sister, Anne Shreve Cameron. His father, Mark Cameron, passed away in 2007.

In his announcement to the campus, Liebowitz said that information about a memorial service will be shared as it becomes available.