CHICAGO, January 13, 2009 - The Newberry Library, the world-renowned independent research institution, today announced the appointment of Dr. Scott Stevens as the new director of its D'Arcy McNickle Center for American Indian History. Most recently, he was a member of the faculty and director of graduate studies in English at the University at Buffalo.
"Professor Stevens brings to the Newberry an extraordinary interdisciplinary approach to American Indian Studies," said James Grossman, vice president for research and education. "His scholarship weaves together sources and methods from the disciplines of literary studies, history, and art history. The Library's magnificent collections in American Indian Studies, and the scholars who use them, will benefit from his presence."
As Director of the McNickle Center, Stevens will play a leadership role in the Newberry's academic and public programs relating to American Indian history and culture. The Center encourages the use of Newberry collections relating to American Indians by researchers from all walks of life.
Current McNickle Center projects include "Indians of the Midwest and Contemporary Issues," a multimedia Web site designed to marry the Library's rich collections on American Indian history with state-of-the art interactive web capabilities to reveal the cultural and historical roots of controversial issues affecting American Indians today.
Stevens, a member of the Akwesasne Mohawk Tribe, holds A.M. and Ph.D degrees in English from Harvard University. He graduated from Dartmouth College with an A.B. in English. He is currently completing a book entitled, Indian Collectibles: Encounters, Appropriations, and Resistance in Native North America, a study of cultural contacts, dispossession and resistance from the early modern period to the early Republic.
In addition to the McNickle Center, the Newberry is home to three other research centers: the Dr. William M. Scholl Center for American History and Culture; the Hermon Dunlap Smith Center for the History of Cartography; and the Center for Renaissance Studies.
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The Newberry Library, a preeminent humanities research and reference institution, is home to a world-class collection of books, manuscripts, maps, music, and other printed materials related to the history and cultures of Western Europe and the Americas. The collections span many centuries and feature items such as illuminated medieval manuscripts, rare early maps, rich genealogical resources, and the personal papers of Midwest authors. The Newberry offers exhibits based on its collections, musical and theatrical performances, lectures and discussions with today's leading humanists, seminars and workshops, and teacher programs. Visit online at www.newberry.org or in person at 60 W. Walton St., Chicago, IL.