May 12, 1999
U.S. Ambassador to Switzerland Madeleine Kunin
to be Middlebury College Bicentennial Fellow-in-Residence —
Two-Year Appointment to Begin in September
Middlebury College officials announced today that
Madeleine Kunin, United States ambassador to Switzerland and former
governor of Vermont, will be a Middlebury College Bicentennial
Fellow-in-Residence beginning Sept. 1, 1999. Middlebury established
the residency in honor of its upcoming 200-year anniversary in
the year 2000.
Kunin, who is leaving her post as ambassador in August,
will be in residence at the College three days a week during her
two-year appointment.
Kunin will have a wide range of responsibilities
while at Middlebury. She will present one to two public lectures
each semester; advise students on their theses and independent
work; facilitate internship opportunities in environmental and
international areas; guest lecture in classes; collaborate with
faculty on projects; and possibly co-teach courses. Students
will have the opportunity to assist Kunin as interns while she
works on her next book.
Commenting on her residency at the College, Kunin
said, “I am excited about coming to Middlebury and looking
forward to working with students and faculty of this outstanding
academic community.”
According to Ronald D. Liebowitz, provost and executive
vice president of the College, Kunin will be a resource to students,
faculty, and staff across a wide range of issues.
“Madeleine Kunin was often referred to as the
‘environmental governor,’ and I know she looks forward to working
with students and faculty in our environmental studies program.
Her experience as ambassador to Switzerland will translate into
contributions to our international studies program. The non-profit
Institute for Sustainable Communities, which she founded in 1991
to support environmental education and management in the then
newly independent Central and East European states, might lead
to internships for our students who study in Europe,” said
Liebowitz.
“We are honored to have Madeleine Kunin with
us,” he added.
A native of Zurich, Kunin emigrated with her family
from Switzerland to the U.S. as a six-year-old, and has through
the years continued to maintain significant ties with the country
of her birth. She speaks Swiss German and French.
A graduate of the University of Massachusetts, Columbia
University, and the University of Vermont, Kunin was the first
woman elected to be governor of Vermont. She held that office
for three terms from 1985 to 1991-the only woman to have served
three terms as governor of a state. Before becoming governor,
she served as lieutenant governor and as a representative to the
Vermont State General Assembly.
In 1993 she was called to Washington to become President
Clinton’s deputy secretary of education. In this position, she
played a principal role in the president’s educational reform
efforts, which led to legislation on higher education and public
education.
A journalist and educator as well as a politician
and government leader, Kunin has authored numerous publications,
including a memoir, “Living a Political Life” (1994),
and a guide book, “The Big Green Book” (1978). She
has written articles for publications as varied as The Washington
Post, The Boston Globe, and The Christian Science Monitor, as
well as for the Vermont media.