Three faculty receive Guggenheim Fellowships

Three UW–Madison professors have received 1998 John Simon Guggenheim Fellowships, which provide scholars and artists with unrestricted grants to further their research.

The 1998 fellows are Clare Cavanagh, associate professor of Slavic languages and literature; Suzanne Desan, associate professor of history; and Frank Salomon, professor of anthropology.

Cavanagh will use her fellowship to further research on poetry and power in modern Russia and Poland. Desan will conduct research and write a book on family law, gender and politics in revolutionary France. Salomon will conduct research on Andean writing systems.

The foundation chose 168 fellows this year from a pool of more than 3,000 applicants. Although the exact amount of the grants are not disclosed, 1997 grants averaged $29,235. The grants help provide fellows with blocks of time, from six months to a year, to complete work with as much creative freedom as possible.

The fellowships were founded in 1925 by former U.S. Sen. Simon Guggenheim and his wife, in memory of their son, John Simon, who died in 1922. The competitive awards recognize both exceptional accomplishments in the past and the promise of future achievement.