Current Fellows

Effective communication, structured dialogue, and restorative practices are foundational skills for moving from binary, destructive conflicts to productive disagreements.

What is our role as educators in navigating an increasingly polarized world around scientific facts, fundamental rights, and personal values? How can we better facilitate difficult conversations around interpersonal conflicts and controversial issues? We consider engaged listening a crucial first step towards addressing these questions and building connections. Through the Engaged Listening Project, we aim to develop a wide range of tools, exercises, and resources to cultivate curiosity, critical self-reflection, and empathy, with the goal that engaged listening and communication across difference and diversity helps all of us grow and learn.

• To participate, ELP Fellows are required to attend a three-day workshop on August 28 & 29, 2025, from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM, and on Friday, October 17, from 2:30 PM to 4:30 PM.
• In addition, each cohort will meet during the Fall 2025 either on Tuesdays from 10:00 AM to 11:30 AM or on Wednesdays from 4:30 PM to 6:00 PM. Please only apply if you can commit to one of these two-time blocks.
• ELP is open to faculty and student-facing staff. Participants will identify a site of practice where they will apply new approaches to listening and dialogue with students.
• In return, fellows will receive a $3000 salary stipend (before fringe benefits and withholdings).
• The ELP facilitators for the Fall are Suzanne Gurland (PSYC), Brian Lind (Student Engagement), Matt Lawrence (SOCI), and Lida Winfield (DANC).

Questions? 

Contact Lida Winfield Assistant Professor of Dance, and Conflict Transformation Pillar Two Head, at lwinfield@middlebury.edu. 

Spring 2025 Fellows

• Nicole Anderson (CARE Management)

• Michelle Audette (Students/Community Standards)

• Megan Brakeley (The Knoll (Sustainability and Environmental Affairs))

• Minna Brown  (Climate Action Program, Sustainability and Environmental Affairs)

• Natalie Chwaliz (Political Science)

• Michelle Dube (Chemistry and Biochemistry)

• Miguel Fernandez (Luso-Hispanic Studies)

• Cynthia Gao (Gender, Sexuality and Feminist Studies)

• Anne Goodsell (Physics)

• Crystal Jones (Office of Institutional Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion)

• Shelby Kimmel (Computer science) 

• Zahra Moeini Meybodi (The Scott Center for Spiritual and Religious life)

• Jennifer Molineaux (Public Safety)

• Leila McVeigh (Counseling)

• Diane Munroe (Environmental Studies Program and Center for Community Engagement)

• Kristin Mullins (Center for Community Engagement)

• Evie Munier (French and Francophone Studies)

• Fulya Pinar (Anthropology)

• Sarah Rogers (History of Art and Architecture)

• Loren Scott (International Student and Scholar Services)

• Casey Schine (Biology)

• Mary Jane Simpson (Chemistry and Biochemistry)

• Becky Tang (Mathematics and Statistics)