Professor Jill Gordon

A new colloquium titled Women in the Spotlight was initiated in September, with monthly talks and events scheduled to highlight the scholarship and accomplishments of women on Colby’s faculty and staff.

The inaugural event Sept. 17 featured the four women newly appointed to named, endowed chairs speaking about their academic careers and current research interests. The series continues in October as a once-a-month midweek talk in the Lovejoy Building.

In September Jill Gordon, Charles A. Dana Professor of Philosophy, talked about her study of Plato’s erotic dialogues as a scholar interested in political and social philosophy. Kimberly Besio, Ziskind Associate Professor of East Asian Studies, discussed the multidisciplinary approach she has been able to pursue at Colby studying male friendship in 16th- and 17th-century Ming China. Jennifer Yoder, the Robert E. Diamond Associate Professor of Government and International Studies, talked about her research in post-reunification Germany, particularly political and social interactions along the Germany-Poland border. Adrianna Paliyenko, Charles A. Dana Professor of French, described her research on the erasure from history of the contributions of brilliant women in late-19th-century France.