Visiting Scholar-teachers
The Vacca Visiting Scholars program is named for its original benefactor, State Senator Paschal P. Vacca. His donation of $600,000 qualified UM to receive $400,000 in matching state funds in 1985. Interest from this original endowment has made it possible to bring to campus distinguished scholar-teachers to serve as Vacca Chair of Liberal Arts. The Vacca Chair teaches seminars that range beyond the usual disciplinary boundaries, interacts with students and faculty, and contributes fresh perspectives to the learning experience at UM. In recent years the Vacca program has expanded to include scholars who bring global perspectives, including in 2012-13 a Fulbright Scholar-in-Residence from Brazil.
The ecocritic John Elder, pictured right, gave a talk Feb 15, 2012 entitled "Green Mountain Mardi Gras: Loss and Celebration Under a Changing Sky."
Scholar-teachers serving as Vacca Chair of Liberal Arts in recent years:
Dan Deffenbaugh, Environmental Studies (Hastings College, Fall 2010)
Graeme Harper, Creativity: Actions, Artifacts & Them Apples (Bangor University, Wales, 2009-2010)
Dmitry Goncharov, Post-Communism Politics (Moscow State Law Academic, 2006-2007)
John C. Morrison, Astronomy for Poets (University of Louisville, Spring 2003)
Sena Jeter Naslund, Advanced Creative Writing (University of Louisville, Spring 2003)
Leonidas Donskis, Politics and Literature (University of Gothenburg, Sweden, 2001-2002)
