At its February meeting the IC board of trustees named eight distinguished recently retired faculty members to emeritus/emerita status and granted tenure and promotions to others.

Emeritus/Emerita

Mary Arlin ’61, who retired in 2006, taught in the Department of Music Theory, History, and Composition for 40 years. Arlin, who chaired the Department of Music Theory (as it was called then) from 1970 to 1976, is a founding member of the Music Theory Society of New York State and played the viola in six regional orchestras, including the Cornell Symphony Orchestra and Chamber Orchestra under conductor Karel Husa.

Garry Brodhead held a variety of posts during his 36-year service at the College. He began teaching in the School of Music in 1970 and was chair of the Department of Music Theory, History, and Composition from 1977 to 1997. He then moved into administration, and held the positions of associate provost, assistant provost, dean of graduate studies, and interim dean of the Roy H. Park School of Communications before retiring in 2006.

Sandra Herndon started her career at IC in 1976, teaching in the Department of Drama-Speech in the School of Humanities and Sciences. In 1982 she moved to the School of Communications, first as an “at-large professor” and then as a professor in the corporate communication (now strategic communication) department. Herndon taught both graduate and undergraduate courses, and directed the graduate program in communications from 1995 until 2005, when she took a final sabbatical; she retired in 2006.

Henry Neubert, who retired in 2005, taught double bass in the School of Music for 33 years. He was also the conductor of the Ithaca College Symphonic Band and coached chamber music. In addition to teaching, Neubert served in a number of administrative roles, including assistant dean of the s, chair of the  performance studies department, and cochair of graduate studies.

Majorie Porterfield formally retired in 2001 after teaching in the School of Music for 33 years, but returned in 2002 to teach part-time in the music theory, history, and composition department through 2006. Porterfield is the author of several music theory texts and created a course for non-music majors titled “Involvement with Music.” She was a Dana Teaching Fellow in 1993.

Nancy Ramage, who retired in 2006, is an internationally renowned scholar and professor in the Department of Art History, where she taught for 34 years. Ramage taught courses in Greek and Roman art, art and architecture of Egypt and the Near East, Renaissance art, graphic arts, sculpture, and the decorative arts. She earned an Ithaca College Excellence in Teaching Award in 1999 and was named a Dana Professor in the Humanities in 2001.

Diane Schwartz, who retired in 2005, taught in the Department of Mathematics (formerly the Department of Mathematics and Computer Science) for 40 years. She wrote two textbooks and numerous articles and helped create an enriched mathematics course for freshmen. Schwartz was also recognized as a national expert on mathematical pedagogy.

Garry Thomas helped found the Department of Anthropology in 1974 and served as its first chair. He taught in the department from 1972 until his retirement in 2006 classes on cultural and applied anthropology, Africa, sustainability, and global studies, among other topics. Thomas was also active in rural development issues in Africa, working with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and the Peace Corps.

Tenure and Promotions

Danette Johnson (speech communication) was promoted to full professor, and the following faculty members were awarded tenure and promoted to associate professor: Les Black (music theory, history, and composition), Marina Caillaud (biology), Vivian Bruce Conger (history), Julia Cozzarelli (modern languages and literatures), Rebecca Jemian (music theory, history, and composition), Howard Kalman (strategic communication), Peter Melcher (biology), Nicholas Muellner (cinema, photography, and media arts), Tom Nicholson (television-radio), Shaianne Osterreich (economics), Rebecca Plante (sociology), Bruce Thompson (physics), and Scott Ulrich (chemistry).