Dickinson Announces New Clarke Forum Directors
Associate Professor of German Antje Pfannkuchen (left) and Professor of Studio Art Anthony Cervino are the first to collaborate as co-directors of The Clarke Forum. Photo by Dan Loh.
Appointment marks first co-directorship for high-profile program
by MaryAlice Bitts-Jackson
Every year, the Clarke Forum for Contemporary Issues presents free public programs that deepen campus and community members’ understanding of newsworthy issues. This year, it’s also making some news of its own.
Anthony Cervino, professor of studio art, and Antje Pfannkuchen, associate professor of German, were recently named the Clarke Forum’s co-executive directors. This marks the first time that this high-profile campus leadership role will be shared. And this innovation arrives during the Clarke Forum’s 30th anniversary year.
Traditional—and new
“It’s been a really positive surprise.” –Antje Pfannkuchen
While they knew each other as colleagues, Cervino and Pfannkuchen had not collaborated before this project.
Cervino teaches sculpture, public and sustainable art, 3-D design and post-studio practice. He has shown his work throughout the United States and internationally and maintains international artistic residencies. Pfannkuchen offers courses on many aspects of German culture and history, from media and film to German environment, Goethe and German Jewish history. She’s co-edited The Technological Introject and has written about connections between literature and the history of science and technology.
Together, they pick up the baton from the Clarke Forum’s interim director, a member of Dickinson’s administration. This return to the tradition of faculty leadership is meaningful to many faculty members, and Cervino and Pfannkuchen are no exception.
But they’re also energized by the fresh possibilities that come with breaking the single-director mold. By viewing vital issues through the lenses of different fields, they are positioned to take the Clarke’s mission—to promote reflection and exchange of divergent ideas—to new heights.
Alternative models
The two began to meet weekly last spring to strategize and plan. They intend to widen the focus of the Clarke Form’s programs to include more global perspectives, perhaps through new partnerships with associated centers and programs. And they are eager to solicit ideas from the Dickinson community (a submission form will soon be available through the Clarke Forum website).
Reflecting the excitement surrounding their joint appointment, the co-executive directors chose “alternative models” as this year’s programming theme. The fall schedule includes lectures on human capital in Africa, Puerto Rico’s prospects for statehood, the racist roots of American gynecology and the “reinventions” of Germany after World War II and the fall of the Berlin Wall.
“We’re thinking of our theme as broadly as possible, and we invite our colleagues to do the same,” Cervino says.
As they put finishing touches on the fall lineup, Pfannkuchen is enjoying the new partnership and eager to see the coming season unfold. “We have excellent staff and students to work with,” she says, “and it’s been a really positive surprise to see how smoothly we cooperate and how quickly we were able to learn the ropes of our new roles.”
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Published August 7, 2024