SU’s Gregg Lambert assumes leadership of CNY Humanities Corridor

SU’s Gregg Lambert assumes leadership of CNY Humanities CorridorSeptember 24, 2008Rob Enslinrmenslin@syr.edu

As the Central New York Humanities Corridor embarks on a new academic year, it will benefit from new leadership from Syracuse University. Gregg Lambert, the founding director of SU’s Humanities Center, has also been named the Humanities Corridor’s principal investigator and project director. Lambert assumes the twin roles from former SU College of Arts and Sciences Dean Cathryn Newton, who was vital in securing a $1 million grant from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation to establish the large-scale partnership among SU, Cornell University and the University of Rochester.

With the Humanities Corridor, Lambert will oversee more than 100 scholars whose work is divided into six thematic clusters: philosophy, linguistics, religions and cultures, visual arts and cultures, musicology/music history, and humanities at the intersection of science/technology. “I will work closely with the clusters to establish sustained and vital relationships that will evolve well into the future,” says Lambert, who also serves as Dean’s Professor of the Humanities. “I also plan to incorporate the new Humanities Center into the next phase of research activities, public events and other new initiatives, benefiting not only the participating institutions, but also the CNY community at large.”

Lambert is working with the Humanities Corridor on a full slate of fall activities, including a visible memories conference at SU Oct. 2-4; a conference on Indian Ocean religion and culture at Cornell Oct. 3-5; a concert of Indian desert music at SU Oct. 7; the annual meeting of the North East Linguistic Society at Cornell Nov. 7-9; and a yearlong composer apprentice project involving SU, Cornell and Rochester’s Eastman School of Music.

“The Central New York Humanities Corridor is fortunate to have Professor Lambert in this new leadership position,” says George M. Langford, dean of SU’s College of Arts and Sciences. “He exemplifies the interdisciplinary research and innovation that goes on at SU and in the Humanities Corridor. His involvement will surely position Central New York as a leader in cutting-edge humanities scholarship.”

Lambert began his career at SU in 1996 as assistant professor of English and was promoted to full professor in 2007. In June, he took over as director of the Humanities Center after a three-year appointment as chair of the English department. “I envision the Humanities Center as the nexus where SU faculty members and graduate students can collaborate with each other and with scholars from outside the University,” says Lambert, adding that he wants to build on existing relationships in the Humanities Corridor.

Located in the historic, newly renovated Tolley Building, the Humanities Center houses the Humanities Corridor, the Imagining America consortium, the Humanities Post-Doctoral Fellowship Program and several undergraduate interdisciplinary programs.

Lambert is author of eight books and critical editions. He holds a Ph.D. in comparative literature from the University of California, Irvine. He is the recipient of numerous academic awards and honors, including the 2008 Outstanding Alumni Achievement Award from Pacific University in Oregon, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in English.