Guttentag, Nash garner praise

Author: Kathryn Flagg

At a ceremony held last Wednesday in the Ross Fireplace Lounge, students, faculty and staff gathered to recognize the outstanding achievements of Middlebury College employees. With an unprecedented crowd on hand to congratulate recipients, President of the Student Government Association (SGA) Eli Berman '07.5 announced that Associate Dean of Student Affairs Karen Guttentag had been named the winner of the 2006 Rodney and Beverly DeGray Staff Appreciation Award and Associate Professor of American Literature and Civilization and Faculty Head for Wonnacott Commons Will Nash was awarded the 2006 Marjorie Lamberti Faculty Appreciation Award.

Selections for this year's annual award ceremony were culled from approximately 55 nominations. The recipient of the staff award was ultimately chosen by the SGA Senate, while a special committee selected by the SGA reviewed faculty nominations. This year's award ceremony marked the 10th and 11th anniversaries of the Marjorie Lamberti Faculty Appreciation Award and the Rodney and Beverly DeGray Staff Appreciation Award, respectively. Both awards were created and continue to be administered by the SGA.

The event was overwhelmingly well attended. "We just packed people in," said Berman. Due to space constaints, people were even turned away at the door.

"It was a really great event," said Berman. "We made people feel proud to be part of the Middlebury College community." He stressed that he had never before seen faculty, staff and students interact together in such a way. As a result of the event, Berman said he has heard several requests for increased programming for faculty, staff and students.

Guttentag, who has worked at Middlebury for five years, is perhaps best known by students for her work with orientation for students matriculating in both September and February. She has also worked extensively to "grow the roots" of the recently inaugurated Deliberative Dialogues program, which strives to foster a wider breadth of communication within the College community.

Guttentag expressed a passion for projects at the College related to community building, a passion that includes affirming diversity "in all of its forms," as well as an interest in creating more spaces on campus for learning outside of the classroom.

"I find that I'm most proud when I've been able to create and support opportunities for students to be leaders in important areas," said Guttentag. "Mostly, though, I'm really fulfilled by the relationships I have with individual students, and watching them bloom, overcome challenges, test themselves and mature into these incredible people."

Senior Co-Chair for February Orientation Devin Wardell '06.5, who worked extensively with Guttentag, had nothing but good things to say about her work. "On a large group level," wrote Wardell in a nomination for the award, "Karen developed bonds with many incoming freshmen Febs, by knowing their names even before they arrived and by encouraging everyone with her smiles and infectious enthusiasm."

Wardell continued, "On a personal note, Karen has become not just a supervising staff member but also a friend to me. She is intelligent, hardworking and inspirational. I cannot think of anyone who would be a more worthy recipient of this award."

Said Sophomore Co-Chair for February Orientation Becca Cobbs '08.5, "The Associate Dean of Student Affairs is a hard job, and she not only does well, but surpasses expectations."

Nash, who has taught as a professor in the department of American Literature and Civilization since 1995, was equally passionate about his experiences at the College. An enthusiast of African-American culture, contemporary fiction by black writers and modern African-American music, Nash teaches courses at the College ranging from African-American literature to in-depth studies of blues and jazz music.

This January, Nash taught a J-Term course that examined the effects of Hurricane Katrina and culminated in a service-learning trip to New Orleans.

"I've had a great many fulfilling experiences teaching at Middlebury," said Nash. "If I were to choose one as the most rewarding, I'd say it was teaching my J-Term course on Hurricane Katrina this year and taking a group of students down to New Orleans to do relief work at the end of the month. That was an especially memorable course both because of the incredible people who were in that course and the type of work that we did together."

Nash and Guttentag expressed their delight following the awards ceremony, and both articulated their pride at being selected from among a long list of talented nominees.

"It's an honor to be associated in this way with Marjorie Lamberti, who throughout her career embodied what great teaching at Middlebury could and should be," said Nash. "And I'm flattered to have been chosen from among the group of fantastic teachers who were nominated. I kept hearing the names of people that I thought really deserve the award, and it was a happy surprise to hear Eli Berman announce that I'd won."

Said Guttentag, "I have to say, this award makes me feel like a total rock star, and like the luckiest person in the world." She continued, "I want to send the entire student body to the Career Services Office to identify the kind of work they'll be good at, and then to find a job that is as fulfilling, enriching and interesting to them as my job is to me."