Dr. Lynn Alexander, dean of the UTM College of Humanities and Fine Arts, has been elected to chair the Board of Directors for Humanities Tennessee, after serving on the board for several years.
Humanities Tennessee is a non-governmental organization funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities and private donations. The majority of its work revolves around sponsoring programs that increase the profile and reach of the humanities throughout the state by providing funding in the form of grants. These grants fund events such as the upcoming Southern Festival of Books, as well as yearly sustained programs like the Young Writer’s Workshops and Chapter16.org.
Alexander brings over 20 years of experience as an educator and administrator to the table, having begun her career teaching English in 1986 at Upper Iowa University before coming to Martin in 1989. She has been with UTM since and is now a tenured professor and the dean of her college.
Her research focus has been in the Victorian novel, specifically manifestations of gender and class therein, and she teaches courses on the subject at undergraduate and graduate levels. She has been a visiting lecturer at the University of Keele in Staffordshire, England, and a visiting scholar at Hirosaki University in Japan. She has also received many honors and has been affiliated with several organizations in the past 10 years.
Alexander also had published a book titled Women, Work and Representation through the Ohio University Press.
When asked about her new position, Alexander was highly enthusiastic about Humanities Tennessee’s mission and her role within it. Pointing to the successes of the program, she elaborated on some of the more high-profile events the group has orchestrated in the past, specifically a traveling exhibit on how water shapes the natural and human geography of a given area called “Waterworks,” which Humanities Tennessee brought to Reelfoot and Pickwick lakes last year. This year, they are bringing a similar exhibit to Covington in October called “Tennessee Waters,” which deals with a similar theme.
One of the main things Alexander discussed was the lack of participation from West Tennessee with Humanities Tennessee programs.
“When I look at the numbers of schools that are, say, sending videos for the Tennessee History Project or sending letters to the Letters About Literature, there will be a dozen schools in Middle and East Tennessee and maybe five from West Tennessee,” Alexander said.
She hopes that her presence as chairwoman will create a greater awareness for their programs in West Tennessee, which lags the other Grand Divisions in terms of economic recovery and could use the grants and sponsorships from the organization to better heighten the profile of and spread awareness about the humanities in the state.
One of the new initiatives that was begun under the tenure of the previous chair, but is being continued under Alexander’s leadership, is the establishment of regional groups for each division. She and four fellow board members from West Tennessee will be working within their task force to bring greater awareness of Humanities Tennessee’s programs to this part of the state, and are considering structuring open house events primarily for the purpose of getting the word out about these opportunities.
Alexander said she believes that her position as dean of Humanities and Fine Arts at UTM gives her the kind of stature and clout that she needs to advance the interests of Humanities Tennessee, the university and the humanities more broadly.
“Martin is,” she said, “likely the center for the study of the humanities, at least in northwest Tennessee,” and this being true her election to chair the Board of Directors is likely appropriate and timely for the state.
Alexander will hold the position for one year, after which she will be eligible for re-election.
