Faculty

Humanities scholar Allyson Nadia Field seeks to reimagine early cinema history by analyzing rare films, ephemera, and artifacts. In 2018, she assisted in identifying the actors, producer, and historical significance of “Something Good—Negro Kiss,” a 30-second long silent film from 1898 that is believed to be the earliest representation of Black affection on-screen.

The rediscovery of this short film has led to a radical reconsideration about race in early cinema. Inspired by “Something Good—Negro Kiss” to continue her research about the interrelation of minstrelsy, vaudeville, and early cinema, Field recently received the 2020 Frederick Burkhardt Residential Fellowship from the American Council of Learned Societies.

Beatrice Fineschi, Daragh Grant, Valerie Levan, Oscar Pineda-Catalan and Sunit Singh have been awarded the newly established Glenn and Claire Swogger Award for Exemplary Classroom Teaching. In the Division of the Humanities, Levan stands out for her understanding and support of helping students make the transition from high school to college.

Based upon nominations from students in the College, the award recognizes outstanding teachers with College appointments, who introduce undergraduates to habits of scholarly thinking, inquiry and engagement in the Core Curriculum, the College’s general education program.