New Senator McMaster Chairs to be named today
[img_inline align=”right” src=”http://padnws01.mcmaster.ca/images/york.jpg” caption=”Lorraine York (above), professor in English & cultural studies, along with John Connolly, professor and chair of the Department of Linguistics & Languages, will be named a Senator McMaster Chair in Humanities today. File photo.”]
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John Connolly and Lorraine York will be named Senator William McMaster Chairs in Humanities today. The Chairs are awarded to individuals whose scholarship has put them in the upper echelon of academic achievement.
A formal announcement will take place today (Oct 14) at 2 p.m.
“Drs. York and Connolly are terrific appointments,” said Suzanne Crosta, dean, Faculty of Humanities. “Their innovative research and teaching have made McMaster a destination for leading international graduate students and research fellows. Indeed, their achievements represent the best of what McMaster aspires to offer to students, the larger community, and the world of scholarship.”
John Connolly, professor and chair of the Department of Linguistics & Languages, will be the Senator William McMaster Chair in Cognitive Neuroscience of Language. Connolly joined the University in 2008 as director of the Cognitive Science of Language program. His major area of investigation is the cognitive neuroscience of language with particular emphasis on the use of brain imaging techniques in the study of phonology, orthography and semantics in healthy and communication-impaired people.
“John is a brilliant pioneer and stellar researcher in the field of cognitive neuroscience of language,” said David Wright, the Hannah Chair in the Department of History and associate dean of humanities. “He's an energetic chair who has turned around a once-struggling department, and is also a great University citizen.”
Lorraine York, professor in English & cultural studies, will be the Senator William McMaster Chair in Canadian Literature & Culture. She is believed to be the first woman to hold a Senator McMaster chair. A specialist in contemporary Canadian literature, she is a leading authority on Timothy Findley and Margaret Atwood. Her current SSHRC-funded project The Atwood Industry offers a case-study of how Atwood became an international literary star.
“Lorraine is an extraordinarily distinguished colleague in every way, as a researcher, teacher, supervisor of graduate students, and an incredibly generous member of the University community,” said Daniel Coleman, Canada Research Chair in the Department of English & Cultural Studies. “We cannot imagine a more fitting way to celebrate and honour her.”
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