Five CAS faculty awarded tenure

Five CAS faculty members have been awarded tenure. Anne Bentley, Heather Smith-Cannoy, Michael Johanson, Peter Kennedy, and Pauls Toutonghi have received tenure and promotion to the academic rank of associate professor effective September 1, 2013.

“This extraordinary group of faculty speaks to our new strategic plan The Journey Forward in that they represent not only excellence in scholarship, but also in their collaboration with peers and students within the classroom and beyond,” said Tuajuanda Jordan, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. “Many of them are doing work that has definitely elevated the stature of Lewis & Clark—not just in Portland, but really on a national and international level, and the expectation is that they will continue to do great work.”

Anne Bentley, who will be promoted to associate professor of chemistry, earned her BA from Oberlin College and PhD from University of Wisconsin at Madison. Her research focuses on controlling nanoparticle surface chemistry and electrodepositing metal oxide and nanoparticle composite materials for use in energy applications. She teaches general chemistry, inorganic chemistry lecture and lab, environmental chemistry, and nanomaterials chemistry. 

Michael Johanson, who will be promoted to associate professor of music, earned his BM from Eastman School of Music and his MM and DM from Indiana University. His music brings together a wide range of styles, and his compositions have been performed at various concerts and festivals throughout the United States and abroad.

Peter Kennedy, who will be promoted to associate professor of biology, earned his BS from Evergreen State College and his PhD from University of California at Berkeley. Peter is broadly interested in plant-microbe interactions, particularly those involving fungal symbioses. He has published widely on the impact of fungi and bacteria on plant life and has uncovered symbiotic relationships between microbes and trees.

Heather Smith-Cannoy, who will be promoted to associate professor of international affairs, earned her BA from University of California at Irvine and her MA and PhD from University of California at San Diego. Her areas of specialization include human rights, international law, and human trafficking.

Pauls Toutonghi, who will be promoted to associate professor of English, earned his BA from Middlebury College and his MA, MFA, and PhD from Cornell University. He specializes in fiction writing and English literature coursework. 

Faculty may apply for tenure in their sixth year of employment at Lewis & Clark. The evaluation for tenure, conducted by the Committee on Promotion and Tenure, includes external reviews of the faculty member’s scholarly or creative activity from recognized scholars within the faculty member’s discipline. These reviews are made available to all tenured members of the department. The final assessment includes the outcome of a departmental discussion, and a specific recommendation about tenure or promotion is submitted in writing to the dean.

Finally, the dean makes a recommendation to the president, who makes the final judgment.

[Story updated March 21]