Eleven Women Join the Smith College Faculty

Smith College, the highly rated liberal arts college for women in Northampton, Massachusetts, has announced the appointment of 16 new faculty members. Eleven of the 16 new appointees are women.

(L to R) First row: Emily Barton, Maren Buck, Aurelia Campbell, Joanna Caravita, Kim Yi Dionne, and Pauline Ebert.
Second row: Carrie Mowbray, Ruth Ozeki, Karen Riska, Vis Taraz, and Anna Ward.

Emily Barton was named the Elizabeth Drew Professor of English Language and Literature for the 2013-2015 period. She has taught at New York University, Columbia University, and Yale University. She holds a master of fine arts degree from the University of Iowa. Professor Barton is the author of the novels The Testament of Yves Gundron (Farrar, Straus & Giroux, 2000) and Brookland (Farrar, Straus & Giroux, 2006).

Maren Buck was named assistant professor of chemistry. She taught for one year at Mills College in Oakland, California. Dr. Buck is a graduate of the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma, Washington, and holds a Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin at Madison. She conducted postdoctoral research at the California Institute of Technology.

Aurelia Campbell will be a lecturer in East Asian studies and art. She was teaching at Lake Forest College in Illinois. Dr. Campbell is a graduate of Pitzer College in Claremont, California and earned a master’s degree and a Ph.D. from the University of Pennsylvania.

Joanna Caravita was named a lecturer in Jewish studies. She is a graduate of Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee, and holds a Ph.D. in Hebrew studies from the University of Texas at Austin.

Kim Yi Dionne was named assistant professor of African politics. From 2010-2013 she was an assistant professor of political science at Texas A&M University. Dr. Dionne holds a bachelor’s degree, a master’s degree, and a Ph.D. from the University of California at Los Angeles.

Pauline Ebert was appointed lecturer in German studies. She was an adjunct assistant professor at Occidental College in Los Angeles. Dr. Ebert holds a master’s degree from Johann Wolfgang Goethe University in Germany and a Ph.D. in classical and modern languages, literatures, and cultures from Wayne State University in Detroit.

Carrie Mowbray was appointed a visiting assistant professor of classical languages and literatures. Dr. Mowbray is a 2002 graduate of Smith College and went on to earn a Ph.D. at the University of Pennsylvania.

Ruth Ozeki, was named the Elizabeth Drew Professor of English Language and Literature for the 2015-2017 period. A novelist and filmmaker, she is a 1980 graduate of Smith College, where she majored in English and Asian studies.

Karen Riska was appointed lecturer in exercise and sport studies. She has taught at the University of Massachusetts and Holyoke Community College. Dr. Riska holds a master’s degree from St. Cloud State University in Minnesota and a Ph.D. from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst.

Vis Taraz was named assistant professor of economics. She is a graduate of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where she majored in mathematics. Dr. Taraz holds two master’s degrees and a Ph.D. in economics from Yale University.

Anna Ward was appointed lecturer in the study of women and gender. She previously taught at Swarthmore College in suburban Philadelphia. She holds a Ph.D. in women’s studies from the University of California at Los Angeles.