Kornblatt named associate humanities dean

Judith Deutsch Kornblatt, an expert on Russian religious philosophy and 19th and 20th century Russian literature, has been named associate dean for the humanities in the Graduate School.

Kornblatt received interim appointment to the post last September following the death of Fannie LeMoine in August.

Kornblatt says that, along with developing research opportunities in the humanities, enhancing teaching and outreach will be a priority. “Although we in the humanities value the ability to think through a philosophical problem, see the integration of history and culture, communicate in our own or another language, and create or analyze works of art, we must realize that these skills need to be taught to be appreciated,” she says.

“I see my long-term job as working with faculty, staff and students in the humanities to explain what we do and how we do it,” Kornblatt continues. “The humanities are both like and unlike the biological, physical and social sciences. We all do research that expands the human mind, although in the humanities it often is done with texts, in archives or with cultural artifacts rather than in a laboratory. All disciplines look to the frontiers of knowledge, but our job in the humanities is to find new ways to reconceive and reassess the past at the same time.”

Virginia Hinshaw, dean of the Graduate School, says Kornblatt’s colleagues look forward to working with her on a permanent basis.

“Judith is an impressive scholar and administrator, plus she interacts effectively with so many folks and has the ability to ‘make good things happen,'” Hinshaw says. “We are looking forward to her contributions in strengthening existing, and creating new initiatives in the humanities.”

Kornblatt says the humanities provide keen and crucial insight into the world and its residents, as well as sharpen and enhance vital skills that students and scholars in every discipline need to use. She says it will be important for both the university and larger communities to recognize and take advantage of those strengths.

“The humanities teach about and expand the very core of society. How we analyze, communicate and create affects every aspect of business, education, government, law, recreation and, indeed, science,” she says.

Kornblatt has been on the faculty in the UW–Madison Department of Slavic Languages and Literature since 1988. She served as chair of her department in 1995-96 and 1998-99. She has published widely on the Gogol, Cossack myth in Russian literature, and on Russian religious thought. She earned her Ph.D., M.Phil. and M.A. at Columbia University. She received her B.A. from Williams College.