The Penn Humanities Forum has announced that Peter Stallybrass, the Walter H. and Leonore C. Annenberg professor in the humanities and professor of English, will assume the role of co-director at center this summer.
From the recently created position of co-director, Stallybrass will facilitate planning and allow the forum to expand, Founding Director Wendy Steiner explained. Stallybrass will be able to take over for Steiner while she is on leave for the fall semester, and Steiner will return to allow Stallybrass to spend the 2004-2005 academic year on leave.
"It just makes it possible for us to trade off in this way," she said. "Otherwise, it's too hard to hire people for interim periods because the planning that goes into the forum is very long range."
The Penn Humanities Forum was created in 1999 to help foster research and stimulate intellectual development across various disciplines. Originally housed in Bennett Hall, the forum has since relocated to 3619 Locust Walk.
Each year, the forum picks a topic to follow throughout the year with lectures, programming and research. Previous topics have included "Time," "Style" and "Human Nature."
Stallybrass, a Renaissance scholar with particular interests in the history of books and material culture, served as the Faculty Topic Director for last year's selected theme, "The Book."
"It's a wonderful appointment," Associate Director Jennifer Conway said, noting that Stallybrass' previous role at the forum will have prepared him well for his new duties. "It's a natural transition."
As the forum's co-director, Stallybrass will be responsible for planning events, managing various faculty committees and coordinating the efforts of the topic director along with those of the graduate and undergraduate advisors.
His colleagues at the forum said they felt he would be a capable director.
"He'll be wonderful," Steiner said. "He's full of energy and excitement, and loves everything to do with the intellectual life. People are charmed by him and want to participate in everything he sets up."
Though currently in Europe, Stallybrass will return to the country later this month to assume his post at the forum on July 1.
Stallybrass brings an accomplished resume to his latest role at the forum.
His most recent book, Renaissance Clothing and the Materials of Memory was awarded the MLA's James Russel Lowell Prize. He was also awarded the Lindback Award for Distinguished Teaching in 2000 and the School of Arts and Sciences Ira Abrams Memorial Award for Distinguished Teaching in 1997.
