Nine Pomona College faculty members have been appointed to endowed professorship positions effective July 1. These appointments are an important recognition not only for the individual scholars, but the donor-funded professorships are also a valuable resource for supporting faculty research and providing exceptional teaching to students.
“The success and excellence of our faculty is something to recognize and celebrate,” says Dean of the College Robert Gaines in announcing the appointments. “Congratulations to all.”
Amaud Jamaul Johnson, professor of English, was appointed the Arthur M. and Fanny M. Dole Professor of English, previously held by the late Arden Reed. Johnson is the author of three poetry collections, Red Summer, Darktown Follies and Imperial Liquor, which was a finalist for the 2021 National Book Critics Circle Award and the 2021 UNT Rilke Prize. His poems combine narrative and lyric to explore the roots of violence and desire.
Cherene Sherrard Johnson, professor of English, was appointed the E. Wilson Lyon Professor of the Humanities, formerly held by Emeritus Professor of Philosophy Stephen Erickson. Her research focuses on Black female representation in mid-19th to early 20th American literature and visual culture. Her poetry collections include Vixen and Grimoire, which was a New York Public Library’s Top Ten Poetry Books of 2020.
Eric C. Lindholm, professor of music and conductor of the Pomona College Orchestra, was appointed the Harry S. and Madge Rice Thatcher Professor of Music, previously held by William Peterson, emeritus professor of music and College organist. Lindholm has conducted a wide range of repertoire for both orchestra and opera, in the United States and abroad. He holds the distinction of having won prizes in major international competitions for both conducting and composition, and his compositions have been performed in Greece and the United States.
Fernando Lozano, professor of economics, was appointed the Morris B. and Gladys S. Pendleton Professor of Economics, previously held by Emeritus Professor of Economics James D. Likens. Lozano is a labor economist whose research focuses on immigration, labor supply and leisure trends. He serves as co-chair of California’s Governor’s Council of Economic Advisors and is a research fellow at the Institute for the Study of Labor IZA in Bonn, Germany. He won the Wig Distinguished Professor award in 2008.
David J. Menefee-Libey, professor of politics, was appointed the William A. Johnson Professor of Government, previously held by Elizabeth H. Crighton, emerita professor of politics. He has won the Wig Distinguished Professor award six times. His current research compares and contrasts public and private institutions in K-12 education, including the interplay between traditional public schools and charter schools.
Ami E. Radunskaya, professor of mathematics and statistics, was appointed the Lingurn H. Burkhead Professor of Mathematics, previously held by Erica Flapan, emerita professor of mathematics and statistics. Among Radunskaya’s areas of expertise are mathematical modeling of tumor growth and treatment, dynamical systems and analysis of non-linear models of power systems. She is co-director of EDGE, a national program designed to increase the number of women students successfully completing graduate programs in the mathematical sciences.
Erin M. Runions, professor of religious studies, was appointed the Nancy J. Lyon Professor of Biblical History and Literature, previously held by the late J. William Whedbee. Her research focuses on the Hebrew Bible and its reception history, with special attention to the influence of the Bible on contemporary culture and politics. Her publications include The Babylon Complex: Theopolitical Fantasies of War, Sex, and Sovereignty; How Hysterical: Identification and Resistance in the Bible and Film; and Changing Subjects: Gender, Nation, Future in Micah.
G. Gabrielle Starr, president of Pomona College and professor of English and neuroscience, has been appointed the McConnell Professor of Human Relations, previously held by N. Ann Davis, emerita professor of philosophy. Starr works on aesthetics: how human beings engage with not just the content of art works but how artworks affect us physically, emotionally, intellectually and socially. She also works on how objects in the natural world have aesthetic effects, using the tools of neuroscience and behavioral psychology.
David M. Tanenbaum, associate dean of the College and professor of physics, has been appointed the Osler-Loucks Professor in Science, previously held by Everett L. Bull, emeritus professor of computer science. Tanenbaum is an experimental physicist in the field of condensed matter physics, with a strong emphasis on materials and surface science. His research has always been very applied, focusing on growth, characterization, processing and patterning of thin films for solid-state device applications.