To the Members of the Medieval Academy,
I am pleased to announce the names of the Medieval Academy members who have generously agreed to stand for election to office in 2017:
President: Margot E. Fassler (Music History and Liturgy, Univ. of Notre Dame)
1st Vice-President: David Wallace (English and Comparative Literature, Univ. of Pennsylvania)
2nd Vice-President: Ruth Mazo Karras (History, Univ. of Minnesota)
Council (four seats available):
Suzanne Akbari (English, Univ. of Toronto)
Michael D. Bailey (History, Iowa State Univ.)
Elina Gertsman (Art History, CWRU)
Stacy S. Klein (English, Rutgers Univ.)
Sara Lipton (History/Judaic Studies, SUNY Stony Brook)
Therese Martin (Art History, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas-Spanish National Research Council)
Stephen J. Shoemaker (Religious Studies, University of Oregon)
Andrea Tarnowski (French, Dartmouth College)
Nominating Committee (two seats available):
Eric Goldberg (History, Massachusetts Institute of Technology)
Bernice M. Kaczynski (Religion, McMaster University)
Susan R. Kramer (History, Independent Scholar)
Eric Ramirez-Weaver (Art History, University of Virginia)
The list of candidates with their photos and brief biographies appears online here:
http://medievalacademy.site-ym.com/default.asp?page=2017Ballot
This year, for the first time, we have asked all of the candidates to submit a statement detailing their vision for the Academy and their reasons for wanting to participate in its governance. It is our hope that these statements will assist members in making informed choices about the governance of the Medieval Academy.
There are eight candidates for four openings on the Council, the governing body of the Academy. There are four candidates for two openings on the Nominating Committee, tasked with proposing candidates for the annual election. As is our practice, the slate of presidential officers is presented unopposed, although nominations by petition may be made as follows, in accordance with article 26 of the By-Laws:
Nominations of other members of the Academy for elected officers, Councillors, or members of the Nominating Committee may be made by written petition signed by at least seven members of the Academy. A nomination by petition may be for a single office, several offices, or an entire slate. Such petitions must be received by the Executive Director within twenty days of the circulation of the report of the Nominating Committee (article 25), unless the Council extends the period for making nominations by petition.
As the slate of candidates is being announced on 6 October, the closing date for nomination by petition has been set at 11:59 PM, 26 October 2016. Additional information about the governance of the Academy can be found here . My thanks to the 2016 Nominating Committee for their work in establishing this slate of candidates: Adam Cohen (Univ. of Toronto, Chair), Adam Kosto (Columbia Univ.), Brett Edward Whalen (UNC-Chapen Hill), Sean Fields (Univ. of Vermont), and Fiona Griffiths (Stanford Univ.).
Electronic balloting will open on 1 November. If you would like to receive a paper ballot and have not received one in the past, please contact me at LFD@TheMedievalAcademy.org.
Voting in the Medieval Academy election is one of the most important means that members have to impact both the Academy and the future of medieval studies in North America. Please vote and let your voice be heard. I look forward to your participation in the election of the leadership of the Medieval Academy of America.
– Lisa Fagin Davis, Executive Director
