1993 through 2012
1993
“A Sense of Place”
1994
“Building Bridges” Four sessions examining connections between people, disciplines, sexes, and sciences
1995
“The New World Order”
1996
“Honoring Ron Brown”
1998
“China: Changes and Challenges”
1998
“The Liberal Arts in the 21st Century”
1999
“What is Life?”
The seventh annual Clifford Symposium, which is titled “What is Life?,” will begin in the Concert Hall in the Center for the Arts (CFA) on Route 30. The event will start with a lecture by the first of two keynote speakers-medical ethicist James F. Childress, the Edwin B. Kyle Professor of Religious Studies and professor of medical education of the University of Virginia. Childress will discuss “Scientific Promise, Ethical Controversy: Resolving Religious and Moral Conflicts about Scientific Research.
2000
“Middlebury College 1800-2000: The Construction of a Collegiate Identity”
Topic of the eighth annual Middlebury College Clifford Symposium. The symposium will offer talks and panel discussions that examine a number of topics related to the College, from its history and future to its architecture. Speakers include College historian David M. Stameshkin, former College presidents Olin Robison and James Armstrong, and current president John M. McCardell, Jr. All events are free and open to the public.
2001
“Integration in Policy and Practice in Europe and the Americas”
Topic of the ninth annual Middlebury College Clifford Symposium. This symposium will offer panels and an open discussion addressing the subject through the perspective of leading scholars, policymakers, activists, lawyers and journalists from Britain, France and the United States. All events are free and open to the public, and will take place in the Little Theatre at Middlebury College’s Bread Loaf campus on Route 125 in Ripton.
2002
“Art Matters: Visions for the Arts for the 21st Century”
In honor of the CFA’s 10th anniversary, the arts will be the topic of the College’s annual Nicholas R. Clifford Symposium. The symposium includes a wealth of performances, panel discussions and many other forums for exploration of the arts. A highlight of the event is the keynote address by three-time Pulitzer Prize-winning American playwright Edward Albee. The talk, titled “The Playwright vs. The Theatre,” will take place Sept. 19. at 8 p.m. in Mead Chapel. The symposium will continue Sept. 20-21 with “24 Hours of Art,” a nonstop, round-the-clock bonanza of performances, participatory events, workshops, exhibits, readings and installations in unusual spaces in and around the CFA.
2003
“What Became of Peter’s Dream? Petersburg in History and the Arts”
To celebrate the 300th anniversary of the Russian city of St. Petersburg this year, one need travel no further than Middlebury, Vt. Titled “What Became of Peter’s Dream? Petersburg in History and the Arts,” the annual Middlebury College Clifford Symposium will take place from Sept. 18-20 and will include lectures, panel discussions, a concert, a film screening and related museum exhibits. All events are open to the public and, with the exception of the concert, all events are free.
2004
“The Technology of the Word”
As part of the “Ways with Words” series and in conjunction with the dedication (of the library), the 2004 Nicholas R. Clifford Symposium, “The Technology of the Word,” will feature lectures and a panel discussion on Oct. 6-7 and Oct. 9. The first of the three symposium events is a talk by Janet Murray titled “The Future of Storytelling in the Digital Age” that will take place Wednesday, Oct. 6, at 7:30 p.m. in Dana Auditorium in Sunderland Language Center on College Street (Route 125). Murray is professor and director of graduate studies for the Georgia Institute of Technology Information Design and Technology Program. She is also the author of “Hamlet on the Holodeck: The Future of the Narrative in Cyberspace.”
2005
“Renewal: Perspectives and Possibilities in an Age of Climate Crisis”
What is the state of the climate crisis on the 16th anniversary of the publication of Bill McKibben’s “The End of Nature,” one of the earliest books for a general audience highlighting the perils of climate change? McKibben himself will reflect on the topic when he gives the keynote lecture at the Middlebury College Clifford Symposium on Sept. 22-24 titled “Renewal: Perspectives and Possibilities in an Age of Climate Crisis.”
2006
“Urban Landscapes: The Politics of Expression”
Internationally recognized urban geographer and social theorist David Harvey will deliver the keynote lecture at the Middlebury College Clifford Symposium on Sept. 29-30. This year’s symposium is titled “Urban Landscapes: The Politics of Expression” and will feature a series of lectures and an artistic performance that highlight the intersection of power and creativity in the nation’s cities. All events are free and open to the public.
2008
“Sites of Memory: A Celebration of the Axinn Center”
2009
“Celebrating Darwin’s Legacy”
The 2009 Nicholas R. Clifford Symposium, titled “Celebrating Darwin’s Legacy,” will take place at Middlebury College on Wednesday, Sept. 23, through Saturday, Sept. 26. The symposium will feature prominent scholars and authors, as well as Middlebury College faculty members, and include lectures, panel discussions and readings. All events are free and open to the public.
2011
“(Re)Presenting National and Cultural Identities in the Middle East”
Recent protests in the Middle East are arguably the most significant news story of 2011. From Sept. 22-24, Middlebury College’s Clifford Symposium, “(Re)Presenting National and Cultural Identities in the Middle East,” will seek to deepen understanding of this and other stories of the region by exploring aspects of its many cultures and national identities. A notable group of diverse speakers — scholars, journalists, writers, poets, artists, and human rights activists — will participate in the three-day event, offering analysis and personal reflection on countries ranging from Yemen and Syria to Israel and Egypt.
2012
“Creativity and Collaboration”
Middlebury College’s annual Nicholas R. Clifford Symposium kicks off each academic year by giving the campus community rich opportunities to discuss and experience timely topics from many perspectives. This year’s symposium, entitled “Creativity and Collaboration,” is hosted by the Kevin P. Mahaney ’84 Center for the Arts in honor of its 20th-anniversary season. The Symposium features over 30 events starting September 27, 2012, with an impressive lineup of speakers, performances, and panel discussions, in both arts and non-arts disciplines.