College Celebrates Articles and Creative Works

MIDDLEBURY, Vt. – Middlebury recognized the scholarship and creative works of 62 faculty and staff members, representing 142 works, in a reception at Tormondsen Great Hall in Bicentennial Hall on February 22. The annual event, which featured work completed in 2016, gave the campus community an opportunity to peruse the many works, which were displayed on tables throughout the hall. This year’s exhibit included 27 student co-authors.

“The work honored today is the product of sustained personal effort, and much of it is also the result of evidence-based inquiry and all of it the product of creative imagination,” said Jim Ralph, professor of history and dean of faculty development.

Books and scholarly journal articles from a wide range of disciplines accounted for the majority of the material, but the exhibit also featured 48 creative works that included Hollywood sound design, dance, theatre, and musical performances; theatre directing, lighting, and set design; choreography, art curation, photography, and videographic essay.

The reception had been scheduled for February 2, but was postponed due to a rally for refugees sponsored by the Muslim Students Association. Ralph said the issues raised at the rally underscored the continuing importance of scholarship.

“Now, more than ever,” said Ralph, “we need the kind of creative thinking and scholarship on display here. These qualities are essential for a healthy democracy.”

View the program from the 2017 reception.