Five Linfield College professors were honored for scholarly achievement, creative achievement, international scholarship and exceptional impact on the life of the college during a faculty award ceremony May 17.
Recipients were Rob Gardner, associate professor of sociology, who earned the Allen and Pat Kelley Faculty Scholar Award; Patrick Cottrell, associate professor of political science, who received the Marvin and Laurie Henberg International Scholarship Award; Anna Song, associate professor of music, who earned the Julie Olds and Thomas Hellie Creative Achievement Award; Sonia Ticas, professor of Spanish, who received the Samuel H. Graf Faculty Achievement Award; and Reshmi Dutt-Ballerstadt, professor of English, who earned the Edith Green Distinguished Professor Award.
This faculty awards ceremony was the last for President Thomas Hellie, who concludes a 12-year tenure at Linfield on June 30. “I am proud of the fact that the quality and quantity of scholarship and research have grown,” said Hellie. “We have pushed hard to hire young faculty who are extremely talented in the classroom, and also gifted scholars.”
Gardner received the Allen and Pat Kelley Faculty Scholar Award, which recognizes outstanding scholarly achievement. Gardner, who joined Linfield in 2004, has published 23 peer-reviewed articles, 17 of which have been published since arriving at Linfield. Over the past 14 years, he has presented his research at a national or regional professional conference at least once annually. During 2017-18, his sabbatical year, Gardner secured a book contract with Routledge, a major academic publisher in sociology. It is tentatively entitled “Portable Community: Place and Displacement in Bluegrass Festival Culture,” and will explore the town of Lyons, Colo., a small arts community that experienced an historic flooding event in September 2013. Gardner will examine the role of arts and music organizations in shaping the town’s flood recovery efforts.
Cottrell received the Marvin and Laurie Henberg International Scholar Award, which recognizes a faculty member whose scholarly activity on an international topic or theme has passed peer review and has been or is slated for publication. Cottrell has published two books while at Linfield, “The Evolution and Legitimacy of International Security Institutions” (Cambridge University Press, 2016) and “The League of Nations: Enduring Legacies of the First Experiment in World Organization” (Routledge Global Institution Series, 2017). Cottrell has two projects in the works: “The Soul of the League of Nations and the Future of American Leadership,” an exploration of how the League of Nations continues to live on in today’s global governance architecture; and “Dead Wrong: Are We Learning the Right Lessons from the 2003 Iraq War?” This publication will offer important lessons for U.S. foreign policy to reach an audience beyond the academy.
Song received the Julie Olds and Thomas Hellie Creative Achievement Award, which honors a faculty member whose outstanding creative activity has been recognized by peers and has been slated for dissemination. Song is the artistic director of the professional early music group In Mulieribus (the Latin phrase meaning “amongst women”). It is a female vocal ensemble dedicated to the promotion and enrichment of community music with a focus on works written primarily before 1750. In Mulieribus was founded in 2004 and has had performances broadcast on nationally syndicated radio shows such as “Performance Today.” They have released four recordings to date, two of which have been featured as Critics’ Picks in the Oregonian. The ensemble has also been awarded grant funding from the Regional Arts and Cultural Council, the James F. and Marion L. Miller Foundation, the Meyer Memorial Trust, the Oregon Arts Commission and METlife.
Ticas received the Samuel H. Graf Faculty Achievement Award, which recognizes a faculty member who has made an outstanding contribution to the life of the college that extends beyond his or her regular duties. Ticas joined Linfield in 2001 and has been instrumental in creating a community where biculturalism and bilingualism are valued. Ticas is actively engaged in raising awareness and knowledge about the struggles faced by many first-generation and Latinx students. She has organized reading circles composed of students, faculty and staff for two years; this year, it was organized around the book “The Distance Between Us.” Students seek Ticas out for mentorship, guidance and support; they value her and trust her. Christopher Keaveney, professor of global languages and cultural studies, said of Ticas, “The students see themselves reflected in her.”
Dutt-Ballerstadt received the Edith Green Distinguished Professor Award, recognizing a senior faculty member who has worked creatively to enhance Linfield’s commitment to academic excellence through their dedication to the intellectual growth and academic success of students within and beyond the classroom. Dutt-Ballerstadt joined Linfield in 2004, and the influence of her teaching is reflected in the breadth and insight of her students’ discussions. One student wrote in the nomination process, “Reshmi was a true advocate for her students, always encouraging us to challenge ourselves and follow our own interests.” Dutt-Ballerstadt’s scholarly work focuses on postcolonial literature and theory, transnational feminism and the discourse on critical diversity in higher education. Her first book, “The Postcolonial Citizen: The Intellectual Migrant” (2010) received much attention both within the US and internationally. She is currently working on two books, “The Anxious Canon: 9/11 Literatures” and a collection of essays, “When We Speak: Civility, Free Speech, and Academic Freedom in Higher Education.” She has also been published in Inside Higher Ed, Counterpunch, Truthout and more.
