Nominations for Glass Lecture

Dear Colleagues, 

The Faculty Executive Committee is accepting proposals from faculty interested in serving as the faculty lead for the annual Glass Humanities Lecture during the 2025-2026 academic year. Any full-time Pitzer faculty member can apply, although preference generally will be given to faculty members on continuing or tenure-track/tenured appointments. The faculty lead is responsible for securing a speaker and working with DoF and Advancement staff on the logistics for this distinguished lecture and associated events (e.g. reception).

If interested please submit the information noted below by noon on Monday, April 28^th.  

To submit an application, please provide the information below on this form.

• Your name and field group
• Speaker nomination for consideration (may nominate up to 3 speakers).  Each nomination should include the following:
• full name of nominated speaker;
• brief bio of nominated speaker (< 400 words) with references to sample publications, presentations, or public work;
• rationale for the nominated speaker (< 400 words), including explanation of:
• potential benefits to the College community of hosting this speaker, and
• potential professional benefits for the faculty lead in hosting this speaker. 

If you are unable to use the form or have questions, please contact dean_faculty@pitzer.edu.

The Stephen and Sandra Glass Humanities Lecture 

The Stephen and Sandra Glass Humanities Lecture Series was established in 2004 through the generosity of Alumna Nancy Bushnell ’69 and her husband, the late David Bushnell, who passed away in 2005. Ms. Bushnell graduated from Pitzer College in 1969 with a humanities degree, and she served as a Pitzer College trustee from 1987 to 2007. 

Emeritus Professor Stephen Glass is a founding faculty member of Pitzer College and former John A. McCarthy Professor of Classics. He and his wife, Dr. Sandra Glass, were vital partners in the creation of Pitzer’s campus and in the mentoring of Pitzer students. Known for their stimulating conversation and as being great thinkers in the humanities, this named lecture series permanently links the immeasurable contributions of Steve and Sandy Glass to the history of Pitzer College. 

The Glass Humanities Lecture Endowed Fund underwrites the cost to bring leading scholars in the humanities to Pitzer College. These visiting lecturers add vibrant texture to the fabric of campus life through their intellectual and social interactions with students, faculty, the Claremont Colleges community, and the surrounding communities. 

An annual endowment payout supports this lecture and associated events. It is expected that this year’s payout will be approximately $6,000. 

Speaker History 

March 2005 T.C. Boyle, English professor, author 

April 2008 Njabulo Ndebele, literary scholar and South African thought-leader 

March 2010 Philip J. Deloria, historian on the American Indian experience 

October 2010 David Goldblatt, sports writer and global soccer (football) aficionado 

February 2011 Marcus Coates, London-based live performance and film artist 

March 2013 Angus Johnston, community college professor, student activism expert 

April 2014 Susan Griffin, poet, essayist, playwright and screenwriter 

February 2016 Elaine Scarry, aesthetics professor, author, literary critic 

February 2017 Ariella Azoulay, documentary filmmaker, curator, professor, author 

April 2018 Jeffrey Stewart, Black studies professor, author 

April 2019 Moussa Sene Absa, filmmaker, editor, producer, songwriter, painter 

March 2020 (postponed to April 2021) 

April 2021 Ishion Hutchinson, English professor, poet 

April 2022, Carolina Caycedo, multidisciplinary artist 

November 2023, Sasha-Mae Eccleston, classicist

April 2024, Bayo Akomolafe, poet and author

April 2025, Erika Doss, scholar in Art History and American Studies