Nichols named Stouffer faculty master

The in-house search committee for the new Faculty Master of Stouffer College House experienced a stroke of luck last semester when Philip Nichols received tenure. The Wharton School's professor of Legal Studies happened to be promoted just as the search committee began its hunt for German Professor Karl Otto's replacement. The previous Faculty Master's term ended last semester. According to Residential Faculty Council Chairperson and English Professor Al Filreis, tenure is a pre-requisite for consideration for a Faculty Master appointment. He noted that it is not a requirement, however, for the position of Faculty Fellow, which Nichols has held for the past two years in Stouffer. "Although it doesn't happen often, the ideal situation is when a faculty fellow becomes faculty master in the same house," Filreis explained. "Phil is beloved by the Stouffer community and so his selection was a natural move." Interim provost Michael Wachter announced Nichols' appointment with excitement last Wednesday. "Phil Nichols is a terrific choice to lead the Stouffer College House," Wachter said last week. "His direct experience with Stouffer is invaluable and I'm delighted he's decided to accept these additional responsibilities." An award-winning professor, Nichols, 37, joined the University as an assistant professor of Legal Studies in 1992. He was the Ronald Koenig Term Assistant Professor from 1994 to 1997 and has taught courses including International Business Transactions, Legal Aspects of Doing Business with Emerging Economies and Introduction to Law. The 1996 David W. Hauck Award for Outstanding Undergraduate Teaching, the 1996 Intergreek Council Award for Outstanding Teaching and Wharton's Undergraduate Teaching Award are just a few of the teaching awards Nichols has received during his time at the University. Nichols received his bachelor's degree from Harvard University in 1982 and a J.D. and a master's degree in foreign and international law from Duke University School of Law in 1988. Stouffer residents pointed out that the college house has and will continue to benefit from the presence of the entire Nichols family, which includes Nichols' wife Amy and the couple's three young sons, Tanner, 5; Hilyard, 3; and Browning, 2. College sophomore and Stouffer resident Elizabeth Rode, who was a member of the search committee, said that "the Nicholses relate to the Stouffer community on all levels -- as friends, advisors and supporters." Rode, who will return to Stouffer for a second year in the fall, added that everyone in the college house was secretly hoping that Nichols would be appointed. Nichols said he is "terribly excited" about the position, noting that Stouffer is a very special community. He added that he hopes to play a role in bridging the "artificial gap between faculty and students," as part of the implementation of the new residential college house system. And Nichols also emphasized the importance of the Stouffer community in the lives of his own children. "[My kids] love it -- it's like they have 130 big brothers and sisters," Nichols said.