Myron and Margaret Winegarden Visiting Professorship
2012-13 Myron and Margaret Winegarden Visiting Professor –Dr. James Elkins
I am delighted to announce that Dr. James Elkins, the E. C. Chadbourne Professor in the Department of Art History, Theory, and Criticism, School of the Art Institute of Chicago, has been appointed as the 2012-13 Myron and Margaret Winegarden Visiting Professor.
Dr. Elkins was born in 1955 and grew up in Ithaca, New York where he earned his B.A. degree in English and art history from Cornell University in 1977. He went on to earn an MFA in painting, an MA in art history, and his Ph.D. in art history from the University of Chicago in 1983, 1984, and 1989, respectively. Since 1989 he has taught in the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and since 1999 has held that institution’s E. C. Chadbourne Chair in the Department of Art History, Theory, and Criticism. In 2008 he received an honorary doctorate from Göteborg University in Sweden.
Professor Elkins is the author of 19 books (some for specialists and some for general audience), over 100 articles, and has edited several other volumes. His writing focuses on the history and theory of images in art, science, and nature. While some of his books are exclusively on fine art, others focus on scientific and non-art images, writing systems, archaeology and natural history.
Professor Elkins’ other interests include microscopy, optics, stereo photography, playing piano, and winter ocean diving.
Dr. Elkins’ work not only spans the arts and sciences, but it has also focused on the impact of globalism on his discipline. The questions that Professor Elkins asks, and the interdisciplinary context within which he frames his answers, place his work at an exciting crossroads in a world growing daily more image-rich and more image-dependent. The number of images encountered by today’s students surely dwarfs, exponentially, the number that most faculty members had seen by the same age. In this changed world, so dazzling and so dizzying, James Elkins offers us new ways to think about what we see and, it is not too much to say, new ways to see it.
Dr. Elkins will be visiting us during the Winter Semester, so be sure to watch for various activities and opportunities to meet with him and learn about the broad spectrum of his research. Among other events, Dr. Elkins will give public lectures, lead a faculty seminar, and make classroom visits. For a sneak peek at our newest Winegarden Visiting Professor, please feel free to visit his web site at www.jameselkins.com. I am extremely appreciative to Dr. Elkins’ nominator, Professor Steve Bernstein, Department of English. He has been working closely with our office in coordinating Dr. Elkins’ visit. Should you have any questions, please feel free to contact Steve at sbers@umflint.edu. I am sure that Dr. Elkins’ visit will be interesting and memorable. Thanks.
SAVE THE DATE
Winegarden Welcome Reception
Monday, February 4
3:30 – 5:00 p.m. – Happenings Room
History and Application Process of the Winegarden Professorship
The Myron and Margaret Winegarden Visiting Professorship was established in 2001 through a generous gift from the estate of Margaret Winegarden. This gift enables the University of Michigan-Flint to bring individuals of national and international reputation to our campus.
The guidelines for the Professorship specify that the candidate contribute to the understanding and appreciation for the sciences and humanities in the context of the emerging global world economy. Winegarden Visiting Professors will be expected to spend a significant amount of time on our campus during the fall or winter semester. They will teach and/or interact with classes, participate in meetings with students and faculty, conduct lectures for students, faculty, staff and the community, offer seminars and colloquia for faculty, etc.
Candidates for this Visiting Professorship need not hold a traditional faculty appointment; however, they should be nationally or internationally acclaimed for their professional work. The Provost, in consultation with the Vice Chancellor for Institutional Advancement, will appoint a faculty selection committee to determine the successful nomination.
The open window to submit applications normally occurs in the spring and will be announced by the Office of the Provost. To submit a nomination, please complete the nomination form and mail the completed form to Sue Fabbro, Office of the Provost, sefabbro@umflint.edu, 229 University Pavilion. The only supporting documentation needed is a brief biographical sketch and a statement addressing the question, “How would the nominee contribute to the understanding of and appreciation for the sciences and humanities in the context of the emerging global world economy?” Please contact the nominee to be sure they would be interested in coming to our campus and to get a sense of the remuneration they would need. Recipients typically spend the equivalent of one month on campus, which could occur by several visits during the semester or an extended stay.