Classics Newsletter
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Classics Spring/SummerSpring/Summer 20112010 News Annus Mirabilis A message from the Chairman ductivity and imagination as a scholar, and In this issue... her intellectual influence in the Depart- ment while holding two successive tem- porary appointments made her success in Chairman’s Message the search a happy event for us all. Hers was the only tenure track appointment Classics welcomes (back): made in the Faculty of Arts and Social Emily Varto Sciences this year, a sign of how valued the Department is within the University. Department News Another of our graduates, Michael Sampson (BA 2001, MA 2003), took Student Profile: one of the few other tenure track posts Bruce Russell in Classics in Canada this year. Michael will be teaching Greek Literature at the Student Profile: University of Manitoba where he will join Ellen Shaffner James Chlup (MA 1998) who teaches Ancient History, Roman culture and Graduate Studies Latin. Programme Hearty congratulations go to another Our last Newsletter was capped with graduate, Michael Fournier (BA 1999, Simon & Riva Spatz Chair the splendid accomplishments of our MA 2001), who has gained tenure with in Jewish Studies graduates recognised at both Dalhousie’s promotion to the rank of Associate Convocation and the King’s Encaenia. Professor. Michael returned to Dalhousie- Pythian Games 2011 The following year has been filled with King’s in 2005 from doctoral studies so many good things that I can only title at Boston College, first with a Teaching Classical Association of it Annus Mirabilis. You will discover many Fellowship in the Foundation Year Pro- of its joys celebrated in other parts of this Canada Congress gramme and then to take Robert Crouse’s letter; here I give an incomplete list start- chair in Philosophy, Religion, and Culture ing with new beginnings. Alumni Q&A: in late Antiquity and the Early Middle Hans Feichtinger Ages. Michael’s contributions to teaching Our Population Explosion. and administration in the Department and Classics and Religious Studies are young to scholarship in his field in less than five Alumni Profile: and full of new life evinced first in years gained him universal support. Mi- Emily Parker three births: Abraham to Keiva and Eli chael has a seemingly endless capacity for Diamond, Anna to Ksenia and Sasha work which matches the most generous Alumni Profile: Treiger, and Caius to Luba and Jack of good wills in taking it on. He is simply Tim Riggs Mitchell. Our graduate students have the best imaginable colleague and we all announced two engagements and two rejoice in his success. married couples among them are expect- Alumnotes ing new Classicists. Our future is assured. Eli Diamond (BA 1999, MA 2001), who came back to us after gaining a PhD from Appointments. Northwestern University and teaching Another assurance of our future came philosophy at the Grenfell Campus of the in the appointment of Dr Emily Varto Memorial University of Newfoundland to the chair in Greek History. Emily first and at St Thomas University in Frederic- came to us as a graduate student with an ton, has been reappointed to Dr Dennis outstanding BA from Queens and went House’s chair in Ancient Philosophy. on, after taking an MA here (2004), to complete a PhD in record time at UBC. Her attractive excellence as a teacher, pro- Religious Studies. Alexander Treiger, who came to us with Annus Mirabilis A message from the Chairman continued... an MA from the Hebrew University of course is set and considerable progress of James Doull. Contributions to the cost Jerusalem and a PhD from Yale Univer- has been made. of the portrait and to a memorial fund sity to give such a successful start to our supporting Robert’s work in Ancient, new Programme in Religious Studies, was Three Passings. Patristic, and Mediaeval philosophy, also reappointed. His first book,Inspired One of our outstanding students do- religion, and literature in the Department Knowledge in Islamic Thought: Al-Ghazali’s ing Joint Honours in Religious Studies will be welcomed. They may be sent to Theory of Mystical Cognition and Its Avicen- and Classics, Gerjan Altenburg, from Ben McIsaac, External Relations, Dalhou- nian Foundation, will be published by Rout- rural Nova Scotia, was honoured with an sie University, Halifax, NS, B3H 4R2 and ledge in August. I heard one of its central award donated by the Dalhousie Faculty should be marked for the Robert Crouse theses, when the two of us and six other Association. The Tom Faulkner Memo- Memorial. You will be sent details of present or former members of the De- rial commemorated Tom’s twenty-five the Celebration nearer its date. One of partment gave papers at the “Philosophy year service to Dalhousie and its students the speakers will be Dr Neil Robertson and the Abrahamic Religions: ‘Scriptural especially as Chairman of the former (MA 1987), Professor at King’s College. Authority and Theories of Knowledge’,” Department of Comparative Religion and His participation brings me to another Conference in Istanbul during December as President of the Faculty Association. passing. 2010, a Research Workshop organized by Tom passed away suddenly last summer Marmara University and McGill Univer- while on the Faculty of the University of Ronald Neil Robertson, Q.C., Neil’s sity. The Istanbul conference was presided Winnipeg, where he moved after head- father, over the last decades has been the over by our own Dr Torrance Kirby (BA ing seminaries in Alberta and Saskatch- most generous contributor to the Annual 1977, MA 1977), Professor of Ecclesiasti- ewan. I first worked with Tom when we Fund for the benefit of the Depart- cal History at McGill. Dr Treiger’s book were both in student government at the ment. He departed this life at the same challenges popular assumptions about one University of Toronto. He had a Canada- time as Robert. Neil has told me that his of the greatest Muslim theologians of wide academic career, but Tom will always birthday celebration would have been all time and will make a major scholarly be remembered for helping establish the on October 14th when he will be help- impact. study of religion at Dalhousie. ing us to remember Professor Crouse. A great hearted giant of a man, Ronald The other core member of our new Pro- You will be aware of the great loss to the Robertson’s generosity was owed to his gramme in Religious Studies, Dr Chris- Department, international scholarship, appreciation of the education we helped topher Austin, was one of only eight re- the church, music, and Nova Scotia with provide for his children. We are grateful cipients in the Faculty of Arts and Social the passing of the Reverend Professor for his encouragement of the humanities Sciences of a major grant from national Robert Crouse. He came to the Depart- and teaching in general, and of his special Social Sciences and Humanities Research ment as a student in 1947, the year James interest in our work over many years. May Council of Canada this year. His project Doull began teaching in it, joined the his goodness continue to shine in Glory. title is “Vasudeva Krishna’s Family in Ear- faculty in 1963 and, although he became ly Sanskrit Traditions: Divine Incarnation an Emeritus Professor in 1996, he contin- Gold. and Human Descent in the Mahabharata ued to serve us as one of the Editors of For the second time in less than a decade, and Harivamsha Period.” With the new Dionysius almost until his death. Obituar- a student of our Department has taken emphasis on attracting research funding ies have been published by Dalhousie the Governor-General’s Gold Medal for as a criterion of academic success, this is University, the University of King’s Col- Dalhousie University awarded to the best an important accomplishment. lege, the Living Church, and, most recently, MA. Timothy Riggs, from Pictou Coun- Dionysius, whose last issue was dedicated ty, captured the Gold in 2010 with his to him. I shall not repeat them here but 2009 thesis on “Eros as Cosmic and Hier- instead invite you all to an Academic archical Principle: Christ and the Socratic Celebration of his life on Friday October Hierarch in the Thought of Dionysius the 14th and Saturday October 15th which we Areopagite,” which I had the pleasure of plan to hold both in the Chapel of King’s supervising; Dr Hans Feichtinger had College and in the Department. Details taken it in 2003 for “Mediatorem ergo Quae- of the programme are not yet complete runt: A Comparative Study of Iamblichus but will certainly include papers on his and Augustine on the Human Need for academic work by Dr Gary Thorne (MA Mediation,” which I also supervised. Dr 1983, supervised by Professor Crouse), by Anitra Laycock, received the Dalhousie one of our graduate students, Benjamin Doctoral Thesis Award in the Humanities While I am talking about Religious Stud- Lee, and by me, an appreciation of his and Social Sciences in 2005 for a disserta- ies, I must let you know that Dalhousie character as a teacher by Roberta Barker tion, “The Essential Polis: Bridging the is now committed to fundraising for our (First Class Honours and the University Tragic Divide”, supervised by Dr Dennis three convivencia chairs—Jewish Studies, Medal in Classics, 1996), Chair of Theatre House. A new MA student, Emma Islamic Studies, and Eastern Christian at Dalhousie, and the unveiling of a Whitney, from British Columbia, who Studies.. There is much to be done to portrait by an alumna, Andra Striowski at last year’s King’s Encaenia took First make this great project a success, but our (MA 2008), matching the one she painted Class Honours and the University Medal Annus Mirabilis A message from the Chairman continued..