Middlebury Welcomes New Faculty

MIDDLEBURY, Vt. — Middlebury has welcomed 52 new faculty members this fall in a variety of teaching capacities, including 20 tenure track positions. The incoming group also includes six instructors, seven postdoctoral fellows, and seven foreign language teaching assistants.

“We are fortunate to be able to attract such highly talented faculty each year, and this year is no exception,” said Andrea Lloyd, vice president for academic affairs and dean of the faculty. “Our new faculty this year come from a wide range of personal and academic backgrounds, and cover a wide array of disciplines, but they share a commitment to and enthusiasm for teaching undergraduate students–and I’m sure that their energy, creativity, and excitement will benefit our students and the community as a whole.”

This year, Middlebury also welcomed the first cohort of three postdoctoral fellows hired as part of the Creating Connections Consortium, a multi-institutional effort aimed at building academic settings that foster the full participation of diverse students and faculty. In addition to teaching two courses per year and pursuing their own scholarly interests, the fellows will engage with underrepresented undergraduate students to help them actively consider and be prepared for graduate school.

Following is a list of all new faculty members for the 2014-15 year:

Professors

David Pratt Ph.D., University of Calif., Berkeley, Visiting Professor of Chemistry/Biochemistry

Assistant Professors

Sayaka Abe Ph.D., SUNY, Buffalo, Assistant Professor of Japanese Studies

Carrie Anderson Ph.D., Boston University, Assistant Professor of History of Art & Architecture

Bill Army M.F.A., NYU, Tisch Graduate School, Visiting Assistant Professor of Theatre

Brandon O. Baird Ph.D., University of Texas, Austin, Assistant Professor of Spanish

Merrill S.A. Baker-Médard Ph.D., University of California, Berkeley, Assistant Professor of Environmental Studies

Tanya S. Byker Ph.D., University of Michigan, Assistant Professor of Economics

Keegan Callanan Ph.D., Duke University, Assistant Professor of Political Science

Michael Dash Ph.D., University of Wisconsin, Madison, Assistant Professor of Psychology

Adam Dean Ph.D., University of Chicago, Assistant Professor of Political Science

Michael Durst Ph.D., Cornell University, Assistant Professor of Physics

Ellery Foutch Ph.D., University of Pennsylvania, Assistant Professor of American Studies

Craig Freedman Ph.D., University of Massachusetts, Visiting Associate Professor of Economics

Lesley-Ann Giddings Ph.D., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Assistant Professor of Chemistry (arrives January)

Sebnem Gumuscu Ph.D., University of Virginia, Assistant Professor of Political Science

Emiliano Huet-Vaughn Ph.D., University of California, Berkeley, Assistant Professor of Economics

David Humphrey Ph.D., University of California, Berkeley, Visiting Assistant Professor of Japanese Studies

Tzveta Kassabova M.F.A., University of Maryland, College Park, Assistant Professor of Dance

Kelli Kazmier Ph.D., Vanderbilt University, Visiting Assistant Professor of Chemistry/Biochemistry

Jenny Kemp M.F.A., SUNY, Albany, Visiting Assistant Professor of Studio Art

Batool Khattab Ph.D., Ain Shams University, Egypt, Visiting Assistant Professor of Arabic

Anson Koch-Rein Ph.D., Emory University, Visiting Assistant Professor in Gender, Sexuality, Feminist Studies

Eloy LaBrada Ph.D., Princeton University, Assistant Professor of French

Silvina Lopez Barrera M. Arch, Iowa State University, Visiting Assistant Professor of Architecture

David Miranda Hardy Ph.D., Temple University, Assistant Professor of Film & Media Culture (arrives January)

Robert Moeller Ph.D., New York University, Assistant Professor of Psychology

Lama Nassif Ph.D., University of Texas, Austin, Assistant Professor of Arabic

Trebien Pollard M.F.A., NYU, Tisch Graduate School, Visiting Assistant Professor of Dance

Victor Valcik M.F.A., Warren Wilson College, Visiting Assistant Professor of Literature

Jonathan Vandenberg M.F.A., Columbia University, Visiting Assistant Professor of Theatre

Tracy L. Weston Ph.D., University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, Visiting Assistant Professor of Education Studies

Orian Zakai Ph.D., University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Visiting Assistant Professor of Modern Hebrew

Instructors

Leila E. Davis M.A., University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Instructor in Economics

Peter C. Johnson B.S., University of California, San Diego, Visiting Instructor in Computer Science

Michaela Kubacki M.A., University of Pittsburgh, Instructor in Mathematics

Laura Lesta Garcia M.A., University of Colorado, Boulder, Visiting Instructor in Spanish

James F. Pierce M.A., University of Virginia, Visiting Instructor in Religion

Joshua R. Rodd M.S., Tulane University, Visiting Instructor in Geography

Postdoctoral Fellows/Teaching Fellows/other

Amitava Biswas M.D., Stanford Medical School, Associate Executive in Residence

Jessyka Finley Ph.D., University of California, Berkeley, C3 Postdoctoral Fellow in American Studies

Scotty Hardwig M.F.A., University of Utah, Artist-in-Residence in Dance

Alvin Henry Ph.D., University of California, Berkeley, C3 Postdoctoral Fellow in English & American Literatures

Jennifer Immich M.A., University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, Teaching Fellow in Geography

Nathaniel Nesmith Ph.D., Columbia University, C3 Postdoctoral Fellow in Theatre

Alicia Peaker Ph.D., Northeastern University, Postdoctoral Fellow in Digital Liberal Arts

Teaching Assistants

Aurélie Hattabi University Michel de Montaigna, Bourd 3, France, Assistant in French

Andreana Marchi Federal University of Santa Catarina, Brazil, Assistant in Portuguese

Alexandra Melnikova Yaroslavl State Pedagogical University, Russia, Assistant in Russian

Giulia Negretto University of Ferrara, Italy, Assistant in Italian

Cecilia Núñez Martinez University de Buenos Aires, Argentina, Assistant in Spanish

Alia Shaboun Ain Shams University, Egypt, Assistant in Arabic

Annika Wintzen Johannes Gutenberg University, Germany, Assistant in German