Knox College Promotes Five to Full Professor

Knox College has promoted five faculty members to the rank of full professor. Knox College President Roger Taylor announced this month the promotions of Caesar Akuetey, professor of modern languages; Neil Blackadder, professor of theatre; John Dooley, professor of computer science; Lori Haslem, professor of English; and Michael Schneider, professor of history.

The five faculty members have combined experience of more than a half-century of teaching and conducting research at Knox.

Caesar Akuetey began teaching at Knox in 1994. This year he is serving as on-site director of Knox's study abroad program in Besancon, France. His research focuses on French translations of literary works in English, and on the linguistics of the Ewe language spoken in his native Ghana and West Africa. Akuetey won Knox's highest teaching award, the Philip Green Wright - Lombard College Prize for Distinguished Teaching, in 1999. Akuetey completed a bachelor's degree at the University of Science and Technology in Ghana, and bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees at the Universite de Franche-Comte in Besancon.

Neil Blackadder has taught at Knox since 1998. He is currently serving as chair of the department of theatre and dance. His research focuses on English translations of German and French theatrical works. Most recently, Blackadder's translation of "The Sexual Neuroses of our Parents," by Lukas Barfuss, was produced in London and New York. He has taught theatre history, playwriting and dramaturgy and has directed numerous productions at Knox, including his own translation of Rebekka Kriecheldorf's "Rosa and Blanca." Blackadder earned his bachelor's degree at Goldsmiths' College of the University of London, his master's degree at University of California-Los Angeles, and his doctorate at Princeton University.

John Dooley came to Knox in 2001, and currently serves as chair of the department of computer science. His teaching and research interests focus on software engineering and cryptology, including the history of cryptology in the United States and Great Britain, and the use of secret codes in works of fiction. He earned a bachelor's degree at Lindenwood College, a master's degree from Syracuse University and a master's in electrical engineering from Rice University. He is a Senior Member of the Association for Computing Machinery and was recently named a Senior Member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers.

Lori Haslem joined the Knox faculty in 1996. She has served as chair of the English department and starting in January 2010, she will move to the Dean's office and begin serving as associate dean of the college, a post that oversees academic advising, the College Honor Code, and other academic programs. Her recent research is in the area of children in literature, including the history of fairly tales and the portrayal of children in Shakespeare plays. She teaches courses in Renaissance literature, Shakespeare, and Chaucer, and won Knox's 2001 Philip Green Wright - Lombard College Prize for Distinguished Teaching. Haslem earned a bachelor's degree at Purdue University, a master's degree at the University of Illinois-Urbana, and a doctorate at the University of Denver.

Michael Schneider has taught at Knox since 1992. He serves as chair of the history department and the Asian studies program, and co-chair of the integrated international studies program. His current research focuses on Japanese cultural history, including the role of women in Japanese diplomacy. Schneider teaches courses in Chinese, Japanese and east Asian history, culture and international relations. He has directed numerous academic programs in Japan and China, including Knox's Japan Term course and Japan Study Program at Waseda University in Tokyo, and last year's visit to China by eight Knox faculty under the auspices of Knox's Center for Global Studies. A graduate of Michigan State University, Schneider earned master's and doctoral degrees at the University of Chicago.

Founded in 1837, Knox is a national liberal arts college in Galesburg, Illinois, with students from 47 states and 48 countries. Knox's "Old Main" is a National Historic Landmark and the only building remaining from the 1858 Lincoln-Douglas debates.