Eilene Hoft-March

Tag: Eilene Hoft-March

Four Faculty Honored at Lawrence University’s 162nd Commencement

Teaching excellence, scholarship and creative activity earned four members of the Lawrence University recognition Sunday, June 5 at the college’s 162nd commencement.

Eilene Hoft-March, professor of French and Milwaukee-Downer College and College Endowment Association Professor, was recognized with Lawrence’s Award for Excellence in Teaching in absentia.  The award honors outstanding performance in the teaching process, including the quest to ensure students reach their full development as individuals, human beings and future leaders of society.

Professor of French Eilene Hoft-March

A member of the faculty since 1988, Hoft-March previously was recognized with the college’s Young Teacher Award in 1991 and the Freshman Studies Teaching Award in 1997. She is one of only three faculty members to earn those three teaching awards.

Hoft-March is a scholar of 20th-century French literature and autobiographies. Her scholarship also includes literature about children and the Holocaust. In addition to French language and French literature, she teaches courses in gender studies and has been a leader in the Freshman Studies program.

She has directed Lawrence’s Francophone Seminar in Dakar, Senegal and served as a faculty advisor to students in the Posse Program, an initiative that brings high-achieving high school students with exceptional leadership skills from New York City public high schools to Lawrence.

In announcing the award, Lawrence President Jill Beck reminded the audience the awards are a secret and Hoft-March was unable to attend the ceremonies.

Hoft-March earned a bachelor of arts degree in French and English at Carroll University and her master’s and doctoral degrees in French at the University of California-Berkeley.

Professor of Psychology Peter Glick

Peter Glick, professor of psychology and Henry Merritt Wriston Professor of the Social Sciences, received the Award for Excellence in Scholarship, which honors a faculty member who has demonstrated sustained scholarly excellence for a number of years and whose work exemplifies the ideals of the teacher-scholar.

A social psychologist, Glick studies both the subtle and the overt ways in which prejudices and stereotypes foster social inequality. Along with Susan T. Fiske of Princeton University, Glick introduced the concept of “ambivalent sexism,” which asserts that not just hostile, but subjectively benevolent — though patronizing and traditional — views of women as pure, but fragile, reinforce gender inequality.

Most recently, Glick served as co-editor of the book “Handbook of Prejudice, Stereotyping, and Discrimination” and a special issue on ambivalent sexism published in the journal Sex Roles. His research was recognized by the Harvard Business Review on its list of “Breakthrough Ideas for 2009.” That same year he was elected president of the Society of Experimental Social Psychology.

“Your theoretical and empirical analyses of the difficult, stubborn problem of ambivalent sexism have caught the interest of a large segment of the academic community, and have been cited literally thousands of times,” Beck said in presenting Glick his award. “Your research combines well-defined empirical studies, careful analysis and clear, insightful writing. Sexism is clearly an issue of great contemporary concern, and your insights into its origins represent an important example of how well conducted academic scholarship can address meaningful social issues.”

A member of the faculty since 1985, Glick earned his bachelor’s degree in psychology from Oberlin College and his Ph.D. in social psychology from the University of Minnesota.

Phillip Swan, associate professor of music and associate director of choral studies, received the Award for Excellence in Creative Activity. Established in 2006, the award recognizes outstanding creative work for advancing Lawrence’s mission.

Associate Professor of Music Phillip Swan

Swan joined Lawrence’s conservatory of music faculty in 2002 as director of Cantala, the college’s women’s choir. Under his direction, Cantala has established a reputation for its outstanding vocal production and mastery in the art of creating an artistic choral sound. In addition to his work with Cantala, Swan is the musical director for Lawrence musical productions and serves as co-conductor of the White Heron Chorale, a semi-professional community ensemble.

Earlier this year, Cantala, which is comprised of freshmen and sophomores, received the highest honor in the field of choral ensembles — an invitation to perform at the prestigious American Choir Directors’ Association national conference in Chicago. Cantala was selected from more than 400 entries worldwide and was the only women’s collegiate choir so honored.

“Part master musician, part inspirational director, and yes, part psychologist, you transformed your young choir from wide-eyed recruits in September to a world-class vocal ensemble in March,” said Provost David Burrows in honoring Swan. “Cantala performed flawlessly at the ACDA convention and received standing ovations from the choir world’s most discriminating audience — 2,000 choir directors. This accomplishment is clearly the result of the inspired, creative and brilliant work you do with our students.”

Swan earned a bachelor’s degree in music education from Concordia College, a master’s degree in choral conducting from the University of Texas-El Paso and has completed all coursework for the DMA in choral conducting at the University of Miami (Fla.).

Assistant Professor of Mathematics Scott Corry

Scott Corry, assistant professor of mathematics, received the Young Teacher Award in recognition of demonstrated excellence in the classroom and the promise of continued growth.

Since joining the faculty in 2007, Corry has taught courses in calculus, linear algebra and number theory, among others, as well as Freshman Studies.

In presenting his award, Burrows praised Corry for “a passion for mathematics that leads to your great success.”

“Rather than fill your students with formulas and proofs, you focus on the process of mathematics,” said Burrows. “In the finest traditions of liberal learning, you free the minds of your students to think and not merely to memorize. You introduce them to a world where they can stand in awe of the power and beauty of mathematics. Your students admire your quiet but firm insistence on rigorous standards, your deep knowledge and your well-organized, understandable class presentations.”

Corry earned a bachelor’s degree in mathematics from Reed College and a Ph.D. in mathematics from the University of Pennsylvania.

Lawrence University Appoints Two Faculty Members to Endowed Professorships

APPLETON, WIS. — Two Lawrence University faculty members have been appointed to endowed professorships.

Professor of French Eilene Hoft-March has been named to the Milwaukee-Downer College and College Endowment Association Professorship and Associate Professor of Government William Hixon has been named to the Gordon R. Clapp Chair in American Studies.

Appointments to endowed professorships recognize academic distinction through teaching excellence and/or scholarly achievement.

A member of the Lawrence faculty since 1988, Hoft-March is a scholar of 20th-century French literature and autobiographies. Her scholarship also includes literature about children and the Holocaust. She teaches French language and French literature, as well as Freshman Studies and courses in the gender studies program. She also has served as director of Lawrence’s Francophone Seminar in Dakar, Senegal and is a faculty advisor to students in the Posse Program, an initiative that brings high-achieving high school students with exceptional leadership skills from New York City public high schools to Lawrence.

Hoft-March was recognized with Lawrence’s Outstanding Young Teacher Award in 1991 and received the college’s Freshman Studies Teaching Award in 1997. She earned a bachelor’s degree in French and English at Carroll College and her Ph.D. in French from the University of California-Berkeley.

“Eilene Hoft-March is an excellent scholar, caring, effective teacher, and wonderful colleague who is devoted to Lawrence University and its students,” said Provost David Burrows. “Her work on French literature has gained national and international acclaim.”

The College Endowment Association was founded in 1890 in Milwaukee by women with a common interest in Milwaukee-Downer College. Originally dedicated to showcasing the expertise of Milwaukee-Downer faculty through lecture programs, today the association attracts speakers from across the country. The CEA has a long history of providing scholarship aid to students at Milwaukee-Downer and Lawrence following the consolidation of the two institutions in 1964.

Hixon first joined the Lawrence government department in 2000 as a visiting assistant professor and returned to the college in 2003 with a tenure-track appointment as an assistant professor. He was promoted to associate professor in 2008.

A political scientist specializing in game theory and social choice theory, his scholarship interests include Congressional politics, especially leadership and coalition building, political institutions and environmental public policy. In addition to Freshman Studies, Hixon has taught courses on interest groups and public policy, the American presidency and environmental politics.

He earned his bachelor’s degree in political science and political economy at Washington University and his Ph.D. in political science at the University of Rochester.

“Bill Hixon is a scholar of the legislative process whose work focuses on major contemporary issues in United States politics” said Burrows. “He is a dedicated teacher who is extremely well liked by his students and his peers.”

Established in 1963, the Clapp professorship honors 1927 Lawrence graduate Gordon R. Clapp, who enjoyed a distinguished career, including serving as chairman of the Tennessee Valley Authority from 1946-54. He also served as New York City’s deputy city administrator and ended his career as president of Development and Resources Corporation of New York, a private engineering consulting firm that dealt with foreign aid programs.

In 1949, Clapp was appointed to lead an Economic Survey Mission of U.S., British, French and Turkish officials to the Middle East under the auspices of the United Nations to foster economic development and aid refugees following the establishment of the state of Israel.

Early in his career, he served as assistant dean and director of admissions at Lawrence and later served on the Lawrence Board of Trustees (1948-51). Lawrence awarded him an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree in 1947 and recognized him with an Alumni Distinguished Service award in 1960.

Hoft-March, Sarnecki Named Full Professors, Clark, Miller Granted Tenure

Eilene Hoft-March and Judy Sarnecki, members of the Lawrence University French department, have been promoted to the rank of full professor while Jeffrey Clark and Brigetta Miller have been promoted to associate professor and granted tenured appointments by the college’s Board of Trustees.

Hoft-March joined the Lawrence faculty in 1988. A specialist in modern French novels and autobiographies, her scholarship also includes literature about children and the Holocaust. In addition to the French department, Hoft-March also teaches courses for the gender studies major. She was a recipient of Lawrence’s Outstanding Young Teacher Award in 1991 and received the college’s Freshman Studies Teaching Award in 1997. She earned her Ph.D. from the University of California-Berkeley.

A member of the Lawrence faculty since 1985, Sarnecki’s research interests focus on 20th-century French cinema and literature, women authors and gender issues. She served as editor of and contributor to the recently published book, “Subversive Subjects: Reading Marguerite Yourcenar” (2004 Fairleigh Dickinson Press), a collection of essays on the acclaimed French novelist. In 1996, Sarnecki founded Lawrence’s Francophone Seminar in Dakar, Senegal, a 10-week program on Western African culture. She earned her doctorate in French from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Clark, a fluvial geomorphologist specializing in the study of how human activity alters the characteristics of rivers, joined the Lawrence geology department in 1998. He has conducted more than a dozen research trips to Puerto Rico, where he has worked with the International Institute of Tropical Forestry and is currently involved with on-going student research on the impact on Apple Creek on Appleton’s north side as the area shifts from agricultural use to residential development. He was cited in 2001 with Lawrence’s Outstanding Young Teacher Award. Clark earned his Ph.D. from John Hopkins University.

Miller, a native of Tigerton and a 1989 graduate of Lawrence, returned to her alma mater in 1996 as a member of the conservatory of music faculty. A flutist by training, Miller is the conservatory’s director of music education, specializing in music methodology for early childhood. A member of the Stockbridge-Munsee tribe, Miller is in the process of completing a book of Native American lullabies that have been shared generationally through oral tradition but never written in standard musical notation. She earned a graduate degree in music education with a Kodaly emphasis from Silver Lake College.