Upon the recommendation of the continuing holders of Pamplin chairs— professors Curtis Johnson, Janis Lochner, and Arthur O’Sullivan—President Barry Glassner has named David Campion the Pamplin Associate Professor of History.
Campion, whose research focuses on the British Empire, modern Britain, Ireland, and South Asia, and imperialism and decolonization, has taught at Lewis & Clark since 2002. In addition to his distinguished teaching, he has excelled in his mentorship of students and his service to the campus community, including his work as director of Academic Awards and Fellowships.
“[W]e see in Dr. Campion an individual who would fit into the existing Pamplin Society, with its commitments to excellence in teaching, scholarship, fitness, and integrity, as few else at the College would,” the continuing Pamplin chairs said in a letter to Dr. Robert B. Pamplin Jr., the creator of the endowment that sustains the Pamplin chairs program and Pamplin Society. The chairs added that because Campion “is already so highly regarded by peers and students … he would hit the ground running.”
The continuing chairs’ recommendation is also supported by Dr. Pamplin and endorsed by the Faculty Council of the College of Arts and Sciences.
Campion, a Georgetown University graduate, received his PhD from the University of Virginia in 2002. A onetime naval reserve officer, he has served as a U.S. Department of Education Fellow specializing in South Asia. His research and teaching have been recognized and supported by organizations including the William J. Fulbright Foundation, the American Council of Learned Societies, the Andrew J. Mellon Foundation, the National Endowment for the Humanities, and the American Institute of Indian Studies. He also received an Arnold L. and Lois S. Graves Award for teaching excellence in the humanities in 2006. His publishing career includes scholarly articles, essays, and book reviews, and he has recently submitted a book manuscript for publication.
Campion succeeds Stephen Dow Beckham as a Pamplin Chair.
“David is wonderfully suited to carry on the legacy of Stephen Dow Beckham as a dedicated and inspiring teacher who truly makes a difference in the lives of the students he mentors,” said Jane Atkinson, vice president and provost.
In its programs and through the achievements of its members, the Pamplin Society promotes attention to the challenges and rewards of leadership in a global society and to the College’s responsibility to the greater community. Membership is offered to the four Pamplin faculty chairs. Membership is the among the highest honors a student can receive at Lewis & Clark; seven new student members are invited annually as they begin their second year at the College.
For more information on the Pamplin Society of Fellows, see:
http://www.lclark.edu/college/academics/honors/pamplin_society/
