Silas House
New York Times bestselling writer and Berea College professor Silas House has been awarded a Duggins Prize for Outstanding Mid-Career Novelist, the largest prize given to an LGBTQ writer in the United States. The award is given annually by Lambda Literary to two novelists.
Continue reading Berea College Professor Silas House Awarded Duggins Prize, Largest Given to an LGBTQ Writer in the United States →
The following article was originally posted on artscouncil.ky.gov.
Silas House is the recipient of the 2020 Artist Award from Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear as part of the annual Governor’s Award in the Arts.
The Commonwealth’s most prestigious arts awards honor Kentucky individuals, businesses and organizations that make significant contributions to the arts in the state. Governor’s Awards in the Arts recipients exemplify a diversity of accomplishments in all areas of the arts as well as the irreplaceable value of those contributions to the state’s communities, educational environment and economy. The combined achievements and contributions of this year’s esteemed group of recipients demonstrate the many ways that citizens of Kentucky uphold the tradition of creating a rich cultural legacy.
The ceremony will be held on January 26 at 11 a.m. EST and is available to watch on YouTube.
Born in Corbin, Silas House, who was hailed by fellow Kentucky writer Barbara Kingsolver as one of her “favorite writers and human beings,” is a multiple award-winning, New York Times and nationally best-selling novelist.
Dr. M. Shadee Malaklou, Chair of Women’s and Gender Studies
Dr. M. Shadee Malaklou, a critical race, gender and sexuality studies scholar, joined Berea College as chair and assistant professor of Women’s and Gender Studies and director of the Women’s and Gender Non-Conforming Center in fall 2019. Malaklou earned her doctoral degree in Culture and Theory and graduate certificates in Critical Theory and Gender and Sexuality Studies from the University of California, Irvine in June 2016. She earned her bachelor’s degree in Cultural Anthropology and Women’s Studies from Duke University in May 2007.
Continue reading Malaklou Appointed Chair of Women’s and Gender Studies →
Berea College appointed Nicholas D. Hartlep as the chair of the department of education studies and named him as the Robert Billings Chair in Education.
Hartlep began his career as a first grade teacher in Rochester, Minnesota, before receiving a doctoral degree in urban education at the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee (UWM). He also has a master’s degree in K–12 education and bachelor’s degree in elementary education, both conferred from Winona State University (WSU).
Dr. Suzanne Birner, assistant professor at Berea College, was awarded the Ralph Powe Junior Faculty Enhancement award from Oak Ridge Associated Universities (ORAU). Dr. Birner competed with 167 applicants, many from R1 institutions (doctoral universities with the highest level of research activity). The $5,000 grant award is matched by each applicant’s institution.
Dr. Matthew Saderholm
Berea College President Lyle Roelofs appointed Dr. Matthew Saderholm as dean of faculty following a recommendation of the dean selection committee. Saderholm succeeds Dr. Chad Berry, who has served as dean since 2011.
“I am honored to be selected as the next Dean of the Faculty at Berea College,” Saderholm said. “The support of my colleagues and administrators has been truly humbling and I will work hard to validate their trust in me. Beyond sustaining the excellent work of our outgoing Dean and Provost, Chad Berry, I will focus on listening to my faculty colleagues so that we can move forward collectively on what is most important.”
bell hooks speaking during the formal presentation of her papers to Berea College on April 10, 2017.
(Photo: Bethany Posey ’18)
bell hooks, Distinguished Professor in Residence in Appalachian Studies, was recently highlighted in a New York Times column by award-winning novelist and former student, Min Jin Lee. In the article, Lee looks back on her time as a student at Yale University in hooks’ “Introduction to African-American Literature” class. The writer reflects on how hooks’ writing helped shape the perception Lee initially had of her place in the feminist movement as a Korean woman. Continue reading bell hooks Honored in New York Times Column →
Lyle Roelofs, President of Berea College
The public is invited to join the entire Berea College community in marking the beginning of the 2018-19 academic year at the College’s Opening Convocation on Thursday, August 30, 2018, at 3 p.m. in the Seabury Center. The program is free. The theme for this year’s opening convocation will be Berea Stories. Continue reading Berea College Welcomes Public to 2018 Opening Convocation →
hillbilly, a new documentary film that explores the historical basis of cultural stereotypes about people from Appalachia in film and television, is scheduled to make its worldwide debut at the Nashville Film Festival on May 19, 2018.
The film’s two directors, Ashley York and Sally Rubin, both with Appalachian roots, interviewed Berea faculty, including Chad Berry, bell hooks and Silas House. Other Bereans connected with the film are musician and alumnus Sam Gleaves, who was interviewed and contributed music, and Sam Cole, who is the associate producer. Several other alumni made appearances in the film as well. Continue reading hillbilly Documentary Film to Debut, Berea College Faculty Featured →
Dr. Dwayne Mack, Carter G. Woodson chair in African American History
Dwayne A. Mack, the Carter G. Woodson chair in African American History at Berea College, has collaborated on a newly published book Freedom’s Racial Frontier: African Americans in the Twentieth-Century West along with Herbert G. Ruffin II.
Between 1940 and 2010, the black population of the American West grew from 710,400 to 7 million. That growth has prompted a burgeoning interest in the history of the African American West—reflected in the remarkable range and depth of the works collected in Freedom’s Racial Frontier. Editors Ruffin and Mack have gathered established and emerging scholars in the field to create an anthology linking past, current and future generations of African American West scholarship. Continue reading Berea College Professor Publishes Book Exploring New Facet of African American History →
Dr. Elna Boesak and Dr. Allan Boesak will join Berea College as guest faculty during most of the Spring 2018 term.
The Boesaks, who are from South Africa, were introduced to Berea by Archbishop Desmond Tutu—who received an honorary degree from Berea in 2005—and by a former trustee. Continue reading South African Couple to Serve as Guest Faculty at Berea College →
The Berea/Centre Leadership Colloquium held its first meeting at a luncheon hosted by Centre College in Danville, Ky., on Dec. 11 . The year-long collaborative program aims to help the 24 faculty and staff participants become more knowledgeable and effective leaders on their respective campuses. Continue reading Berea College Partners with Centre College on Leadership Colloquium →
Berea College’s Recognition Ceremony for Mid-Year Graduates was held Sunday, Dec. 10 at 3 p.m. in Phelps Stokes Chapel. Dawneda Williams, an honorary Berea College trustee whose work has made a difference in the lives of many in Appalachia, addressed the 47 seniors who will complete their degree requirements at the end of the fall term. Williams is an advocate and supporter of educational opportunities for young people in Appalachia and beyond. Continue reading Berea Recognized 47 Graduates During Mid-Year Ceremony →
The annual Christmas Concert, co-sponsored by the Berea College Music Program and the Campus Christian Center, will be held on two successive nights, Friday evening December 1 and Saturday evening December 2. Although tickets to attend this popular yearly event are already gone, it will be live streamed for those that would like to watch the Christmas Concert from the comfort of home or elsewhere via the following Livestream links: Continue reading Berea College Christmas Concert This Week on December 1 and 2 →
bell hooks and Crystal Wilkinson will be “In Conversation” at the Kentucky Book Fair Saturday, Nov. 18, 2017 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the Alltech Arena at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, Ky. The annual event, presented by Kentucky Humanities, features more than 180 writers and speakers from across the country.
Continue reading bell hooks and Crystal Wilkinson Featured Speakers at Kentucky Book Fair →
Silas House, the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) Chair of Appalachian Studies at Berea College, was recently inducted into the Fellowship of Southern Writers. The induction took place at a ceremony held in Chattanooga, Tennessee, during the SouthWord Festival—a biennial conference for the Southern Lit Alliance and the Fellowship of Southern Writers. Continue reading Silas House Inducted into Fellowship of Southern Writers →
Berea alumnus Loyal Jones ‘54, a former faculty member and founding director of the Appalachian Center that now bears his name at Berea College, is one of the winners who will receive a special award at this week’s East Kentucky Leadership Conference in Richmond, KY. The award, given in honor of former WYMT broadcaster, Tony Turner, honors individuals for their contributions to the Appalachian region. Continue reading Loyal Jones ’54 Wins 2017 East Kentucky Leadership Tony Turner Award →
Adanma Barton, an associate professor of theater at Berea College, is presenting a one-woman show at Sweet Briar College. The play, titled “Lost and Found,” is Barton’s sabbatical project that takes a candid look at women’s health issues and explores societal taboos surrounding miscarriage and infertility. The performance at Sweet Briar is one of many stops as Barton takes her show to colleges and universities around the country. Following each 45-minute production, audience members can participate in a talkback with Barton, as well as a local gynecologist and a grief counselor. Barton’s upcoming performance will take place at 7:30 p.m., Thursday, March 30, in Babcock Fine Arts Center on the Sweet Briar campus in Virginia. For more information visit:
http://sbc.edu/news/lost-and-found-to-highlight-womens-health-through-theater/
This week we feature two African American staff/faculty members―Carl Thomas and Dr. Alicestyne Turley―whose work and personal influence is having a significant impact on Berea College students. Like others on campus and beyond, they are “investing in lives of great promise.” Continue reading Making an Impact with Black History →
Berea College staff, faculty and students organized a series of events in observance of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, on Monday, January 16, 2017, including a convocation featuring Dr. Karsonya Whitehead, from Loyola University Maryland, as speaker. The day’s activities were co-sponsored by Office of the President, Berea College Music Program, Black Cultural Center, Carter G. Woodson Center for Interracial Education, Center for Excellence in Learning through Service (CELTS), Berea College Music Program, First Christian Church, Union Church, and Willis D. Weatherford Jr. Campus Christian Center. Continue reading Advancing The Dream →
The first Mountain Day at Berea College was observed in 1875 for “enjoying the Fall colors and other natural wonders in the immediate vicinity and to provide a campus holiday free of classes and non-essential labor.” It has become an annual tradition. In recent years groups, such as the Berea College Choir, sing to greet the rising of the sun after a morning hike. Mountain Day activities included climbing the Pinnacles, kettle corn, face-painting, winning prizes from various campus organizations and clubs, and dying t-shirts! Musical and dancing performances by campus student groups such as the Black Music Ensemble and the Berea College Country Dancers during the lunch hour drew a large crowd. This year marked the 141st year celebrating Mountain Day at Berea College.
Media Advisory October 16, 2015
All classes and labor are cancelled in honor of this historic celebration which has been a College tradition since 1875. In addition to hiking the pinnacles in the Berea College Forest (on Ky. Hwy. 21), Mountain Day activities, sponsored by the College Campus Life office, include games, music, performances, and contests. Continue reading Berea College’s 140th Mountain Day is Wednesday, October 21st →
