Colby College in Waterville, Maine, Promotes and Awards Tenure to Three Women Scholars

Colby College, the highly rated liberal arts educational institution in Waterville, Maine, has announced that it has promoted six faculty members to the rank of associate professor. All three were awarded tenure. Three of these promotions went to women.

Megan Cook is an internationally respected scholar of medieval English literature. She is the author of The Poet and the Antiquaries: Chaucerian Scholarship and the Rise of Literary History, 1532-1635 (University of Pennsylvania Press, 2019). Dr. Cook is a graduate of the University of Michigan, where she double majored in English and political science. She holds a master’s degree in English and American literature from New York University and a Ph.D. in English literature from the University of Pennsylvania.

Christel Kesler was promoted to associate professor of sociology. Her research is focused on socioeconomic inequality, international migration, and social policy. Dr. Kesler came to Colby after teaching for six years at Barnard College in New York City. Dr. Kesler is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where she double majored in German and sociology. She holds a master’s degree and a Ph.D. in sociology from the University of California, Berkeley.

Loren McClenachan is an associate professor of environmental studies. She is a historical ecologist who focuses on marine fisheries conservation. Her work uses historical data to identify ecological baselines, to document changes in ecosystems and fisheries management. Dr. McClenachan is a graduate of Middlebury College in Vermont, where she majored in environmental studies. She holds a master’s degree in environmental studies from the University of Oregon and a Ph.D. in marine biology from the University of California, San Diego.