{"id":28281,"date":"2026-05-07T13:39:15","date_gmt":"2026-05-07T17:39:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/news\/?post_type=story&p=28281"},"modified":"2026-05-07T14:47:43","modified_gmt":"2026-05-07T18:47:43","slug":"you-made-an-impact","status":"publish","type":"story","link":"https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/news\/2026\/05\/07\/you-made-an-impact\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018You made an impact\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n
Clark salutes retiring faculty at reception<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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Clark University on Tuesday honored seven retiring faculty members representing 215 years of collective service to Clark University. At a reception held in the ASEC lobby, President David Fithian noted that while the professors represent a variety of departments and disciplines, they are united by their desire to provide students with a transformative education, shape the culture of the institution, and represent \u201cwhat makes Clark, Clark.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Honored at the reception were professors Mar\u00eda Acosta Cruz (40 years) and Everett Fox (40 years), Language, Literature, and Culture; Parminder Bhachu (34 years) and Debbie Merrill (34 years), Sociology; Justin Thackeray (30 years) and Deb Robertson (26 years), Biology; and Dana Bauer (11 years), Economics and the George Perkins Marsh Institute.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Provost John Magee added his accolades, referencing the unacknowledged \u201cinvisible work\u201d that professors often do to help Clark students navigate the path from newly graduated high school students to accomplished young adults and professionals. \u201cYou make an impact,\u201d he said. As evidence, Magee read from student assessments of the professors, which lauded them for conducting their classes with passion, humor, kindness, and positivity, and for making complex topics accessible while also challenging them to push themselves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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\nProvost John Magee, Biology Professor Denis Larochelle, and Biology Professor Deb Robertson<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\nProvost John Magee, Biology Professor Denis Larochelle, and Biology Professor Justin Thackeray<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
Denis Larochelle, professor of biology, said that with the retirement of Robertson and Thackeray, Clark was losing \u201ctwo major pillars\u201d from the Biology Department and the wider institution. He also read from student reviews, which described Thackeray as \u201ccalm and meticulous\u201d and who made biology \u201cfun yet important.\u201d A student wrote that he \u201cgave the skills and content knowledge to transition to a successful career.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Robertson was lauded for inspiring her students with compassion and creativity and as \u201ca constant source of discovery and adventure.\u201d She brought students to seaside settings for lively research experiences involving first-hand observations and data-gathering. As one student summed it: \u201cShe rocks.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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\nProvost John Magee, Sociology Professor Rosalie Torres Stone, and Sociology Professor Parminder Bhachu<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\nProvost John Magee, Sociology Professor Debbie Merrill, and Sociology Professor Rosalie Torres Stone<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
In tributes to her fellow sociologists, Professor Rosalie Torres Stone noted that Merrill \u201cunderstood the big picture and the human details,\u201d noting her research and incisive books that have explored such intimate topics as in-law relationships, caring for elderly parents, and dealing with menopause (an an upcoming book on identity and retirement). Bhachu was described as a \u201ctrailblazer\u201d who wrote five influential books on subjects like migration, race, technology and diaspora studies. Psychology Professor Nancy Budwig presented a copy of a 1986 Elle<\/em> magazine story that listed Bhachu as a \u201cmover and shaker\u201d on the global stage, a sought-after lecturer and author of \u201cintellectual moxie.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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\nProvost John Magee; Professor Eduard Arriaga-Arango, chair of the Department of Language, Literature, and Cuture; and Professor Edward Fox.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\nProvost John Magee, Professor Mar\u00eda Acosta Cruz, and Professor Eduard Arriaga-Arango<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
Mar\u00eda Acosta Cruz and Everett Fox will be missed, said Eduard Arriaga-Arango, chair of Language, Literature, and Culture. Fox is a renowned scholar of biblical studies, with six books and 17 journal articles to his credit, Arriaga said. An engaged Clark citizen, he strengthened the community with his \u201centhusiasm, kindness, and genuine passion for teaching.\u201d Acosta Cruz has been recognized for her scholarly pursuits, her joy of teaching, and as a leader in the Massachusetts Hispanic community, Arriaga said. Her most recent book, \u201cDisaster Nation: An Ecocritical Study of Puerto Rican Culture\u201d signals her immersion into the environmental humanities, he said. Geography Professor Rinku Roy Chowdhury threw her arm around Acosta Cruz and recalled taking a Spanish language class with her \u201cthat instilled in me a great love of Latino culture.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\nFrom left: Provost John Magee; Economics Professor and George Perkins Marsh Institute Director Robert Johnston; Dana Bauer, retiring after 11 years with the Economics Department and Marsh Institute; and Economics Professor Jacqueline Geoghegan<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
Describing her as an \u201cunsung hero,\u201d Marsh Institute Director Rob Johnston noted that Bauer doesn\u2019t trumpet her accomplishments, which are many \u2014 from running student research programs to conducting an extensive study of farmers\u2019 behavior and practices. The moment was poignant for him, given that Bauer was once Johnston\u2019s research assistant while a graduate student at the University of Rhode Island. Economics colleague Jacqueline Geoghegan said that Bauer was masterful at teaching complex subject matter and is someone \u201cwho only wants the best for her students.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Clark University has honored seven retiring faculty members representing 215 years of collective service to Clark University. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":28292,"template":"","meta":{"story_color":"var(--clarku-color-dark-teal)","story_headerImg":28292,"section_label":"","footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[223],"displayed_author":[235],"featured":[494],"topic":[150],"class_list":["post-28281","story","type-story","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-clark-community","displayed_author-jim-keogh","featured-secondary","topic-faculty"],"yoast_head":"\n
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