To honor the memory of alumna Helen H. Chatfield, who graduated from the University of Arizona in 1968 with degree in Spanish, the College of Humanities has created a series of faculty awards to recognize exemplary teaching, research and service.
Chatfield, a successful investor and philanthropist, passed away in 2020 and left a gift to the College of Humanities in her will. The bequest, valued over $1 million, created the Helen H. Chatfield Endowment.
“We seek to honor her life, which was driven by curiosity and a sense of play,” said Alain-Philippe Durand, Dorrance Dean of the College of Humanities. “These passions were consistently marked by her appreciation of work that introduced new voices and ideas to the world, or that brought to light significant figures whose contributions had been overshadowed.”
Durand said he chose to use the funds to specifically support and honor world-class faculty and support and encourage the College’s long tradition of being a leader on and off campus in diversity and inclusion.
The Helen H. Chatfield Awards each year will honor College of Humanities faculty members in four categories. The inaugural recipients are:
The Chatfield Award for Anti-Racist Research, Teaching, or Service:
Wenhao Diao, Associate Professor, East Asian Studies
Award of $5,000
The Chatfield Impact Award:
Ana Cornide, Associate Professor of Practice, Spanish and Portuguese
Award of $5,000
The Chatfield Outstanding Tenured Researcher Award:
Ana Carvalho, Professor, Spanish and Portuguese
Albrecht Classen, Professor, German Studies
Award of $1,000
The Chatfield Outstanding Untenured Researcher Award
Max Strassfeld, Assistant Professor, Religious Studies and Classics
Award of $1,000