In June, the Scripps College Board of Trustees appointed four faculty members to endowed chair positions. Faculty in named chairs are expected to provide leadership in their designated field by organizing and participating in campus events related to their area of expertise, maintaining high-quality teaching, and demonstrating a willingness to participate in campus governance. The Board of Trustees unanimously approved the appointments on the recommendations of president Lori Bettison-Varga and then vice president for academic affairs/dean of faculty Amy Marcus-Newhall after a process that included endorsement by the faculty Appointments, Promotion and Tenure Committee and approval by the Educational Policy Committee of the Board.
The Margaret McKenzie Distinguished Professorship in Modern Foreign Languages was awarded to Professor of French Nathalie Rachlin. This chair is granted to a senior member of Scripps’ current tenured faculty who has shown evidence of distinction in both teaching and research. The role is designed to support the faculty and academic program of modern languages at Scripps as well as the leadership in language instruction at The Claremont Colleges.
Professor of Religious Studies Andrew Jacobs was nominated to the Mary W. Johnson and J. Stanley Johnson Professorship in Humanities. This chair is awarded to a member of Scripps’ tenured faculty who has achieved a record of excellence in teaching and has made outstanding contributions to the interdisciplinary humanities program. The appointment may be made from any discipline, including science and mathematics.
The Board named Professor of History and Africana Studies Rita Roberts to the Nathaniel Wright Stephenson Chair in History and Biography. Established in 1931 by Ellen Browning Scripps, this chair commemorates one of Scripps’ first faculty members, Nathanial Wright Stephenson, who personified the ideals of the College. Stephenson was a historian and scholar-teacher who had a profound appreciation for the humanities.
Professor of Hispanic Studies Marina Pérez de Mendiola was awarded the Richard Armour Chair in Modern Languages. This chair is awarded to any current Scripps professor who excels in the teaching and study of modern languages.
Each of these faculty members brings a distinguished teaching record and active engagement in scholarly and creative activities to their new position.