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Faculty and Staff Excellence
A committment to excellence
Faculty and staff enhance teaching, scholarship, and services across campus.
Your investment in faculty and staff excellence brings talented teacher-scholars and staff to Skidmore, enhancing the learning experience for all students . Creating Our Future helped our educators pursue groundbreaking research, problem-solve in interdisciplinary ways and expand their teaching capabilities . Combine this with the additional support of campus staff, and our students are getting a premier, well-rounded education .
HOCKENOS HELLMAN JAFARZADE
— Matthew Hockenos, Harriet Johnson Toadvine ’56 Professor in 20th-Century History Professor Matthew Hockenos is a 20th-century European history specialist who has earned Fulbright, Mellon, and other grants and awards for his scholarship, including his book, A Church Divided: German Protestants Confront the Nazi Past . He recently worked with the U .S . Holocaust Memorial Museum to research the Society for the Promotion of Christianity among the Jews, analyzing Nazi antisemitism and missionary attitudes . He was also awarded the prestigious Edwin M . Moseley Faculty Research Lectureship for 2019-20 .
Historical literacy is pivotal in providing Skidmore graduates with the tools for responsible citizenship, civic engagement, and social responsibility through the liberal arts . The establishment of this professorship is “sure to have an important impact on the historical literacy of the next generations of Skidmore students,” said Matthew .
— Mimi Hellman, The Charlotte Lamson Clarke ’53 Chair in Art History Mimi Hellman, professor of art history, teaches courses that address visual cultures and built environments in Europe and North America in the early modern and modern periods . She challenges students to examine how society influences, and is influenced by, art and design . Her courses foster visual literacy, critical thinking, and an understanding of cultural diversity and power structures . Her scholarship explores the roles of paintings, furnishings, and interior design in the construction of social identities in 18th-century France .
Most recently, she published the article “The Politics of Attachment: Visualizing Young Louis XV and his Governess .” Part of an edited book about the histories and afterlives of the French royal palace of Versailles, Mimi’s chapter explores how early 18th-century prints depicting a 5-year-old king and his governess negotiated social and political anxieties about royal bodies, female agency and national identity . In keeping with the interdisciplinarity of art history, her teaching and research intersect with numerous fields, including gender studies, history, literature and political science .
Mimi said, “Art History is about the power of visual form to shape human experience . It’s exciting when students apply what they’re learning in class to their encounters with images, objects, and spaces in everyday life .”
— Soha Jafarzade, Sands Family Foundation Assistant Director of Diversity Career Development Born in Sweden to Iranian refugee parents and dedicating his time during law school to providing legal assistance to vulnerable communities in need of pro-bono services, Soha Jafarzade understands the power of community support and the importance of diversity in career development . In this role, Soha specializes in working within diverse populations (domestic students of color, LGBTQ+, first-generation, and international students), from connecting students to opportunities that support their career goals to networking with alumni . He also calls on his expertise to work with students interested in government and law .
The nearly $5 million contributed toward career development and transformative experiences funded career internships, student research, and other experiential opportunities that help students gain hands-on experience and skills and enhance post-graduation outcomes .
