In Memoriam: Sheldon Sax
Sheldon Sax, a longtime Middlebury College staff member who pioneered new uses of instructional technology in collaboration with Middlebury faculty and students, died on August 8 at the age of 76 following a lengthy battle with cancer.
“Shel was one of the anchors of the Center for Teaching, Learning and Research,” said Jim Ralph, dean of the faculty and Rehnquist Professor of American History and Culture. “For many years, he was the critical go-to person for faculty who wanted to employ technology to enhance their teaching. What was striking about Shel’s approach is that he understood that technology in the classroom needed to have a pedagogical purpose. It was not enough to deploy the latest tools without a clear plan for how they would advance learning, which Shel never stopped reminding us was why we were all here at Middlebury in the first place.”
Sax was born in Toronto, Canada, on August 31, 1947, to Irving and Lillian Sax. His father was a pharmacist and his mother a homemaker. He graduated from the University of Toronto and later obtained a master’s degree at Simon Fraser University.
He arrived at Middlebury in 1984 as a visiting instructor in economics and later became assistant director of academic computing services, then assistant director of user services. In 1996 he was named director of instructional technology, a position he held until his retirement. He also taught and was a staff member for several summers at the Bread Loaf School of English, and taught winter term courses.
“Shel exemplified the connections between faculty and staff at Middlebury,” said President Laurie Patton. “He occupied both roles at different times in his career. He could move fluidly between them because, as he knew, in the end we’re all educators.”
In the winter of 2014, Sax launched what Ralph described as “one of the most creative and intense conversations among faculty, students, and staff” that he had ever witnessed at Middlebury. He led a group of Middlebury faculty and students in a collaborative month-long, intensive seminar on “Contemporary Teaching in the Liberal Arts.” It brought faculty and students together for discussions of the purposes of education and ways to reach the potentials afforded by a residential liberal arts college.
“I was a ‘student’ of Shel’s in that terrific experimental course he taught,” said Amy Morsman, professor of history and interim director of the Center for Teaching, Learning, and Research. “I came to realize that the course was classic Shel: he was all about keeping an open mind, exploring, trying, and testing, sharing, listening, and thinking. And he wanted us to do all of that in community.”
Sax’s winter term seminar inspired what is now an annual J-term pedagogy series sponsored by the CTLR.
“What drew so many faculty, staff, and students to Shel was the fact that he was such a marvelous person,” said Ralph. “He was a careful listener, a thoughtful and focused conveyor of advice, and a genuine collaborator with an unmatched wry sense of humor.”
Sax is survived by his wife, Peggy, whom he met while picking fruit on a kibbutz in northern Israel; sons Peter and Jordan; daughters-in-law Molly and Dana; and four grandchildren.
A memorial service was held at the Kirk Center on August 10. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the United Way of Addison County or the Oral Cancer Foundation.