Lamberti endows award Professor Emerita of history donates $100,000 to fund

Author: Laura K. Budzyna

One of the most valued honors bestowed on Middlebury professors - the annual Marjorie Lamberti Faculty Appreciation Award - has just received a generous financial boost from Professor Emerita of History Marjorie Lamberti herself.

This past October, Lamberti met with Student Government Association (SGA) President Andrew Jacobi '05 to discuss a substantial endowment to her namesake award's fund. She donated $100,000 to this fund, which will finance the monetary part of the gift as well as extended academic pursuits.

The interest from the grant will go to future award recipients to aid them in their research endeavors, and any spillover funds will go toward a scholarship fund. Lamberti's donation will ensure that the award continues to recognize and honor Middlebury College's most valuable professors for years to come.

Middlebury students have a chance every year to nominate and to choose one exceptional faculty member to present with a sizeable monetary award.

Lamberti was one of the award's first honorees. Upon her retirement in 2002, the SGA fastened her name to the award as a tribute to, according to the SGA charter, "her service and dedication to the Middlebury College community."

Lamberti spoke highly of the award. "This award honors faculty members who have demonstrated excellence in teaching and dedication by giving time, energy and effective effort in encouraging and supporting students in their search for knowledge and in their intellectual development inside and outside of the classroom," she said.

Jacobi pointed out that because the students themselves decide the recipients, it is considered to be a very prestigious honor. "Professor Lamberti was a recipient of this prize, and she says that receiving this honor from her own students was one of the highlights of her career," he said.

To determine the next recipient of the award, next spring, Dean of Faculty Susan Campbell will request nominations from all students via e-mail.

The junior and senior members of the SGA will then select a five-student panel to deliberate over the nominations and to decide on a recipient.

Later, during Staff and Faculty Appreciation Week, Jacobi will present the framed award along with a check to the 2005 winner.