Steve Swayne Reappointed as Director of the Montgomery Fellows Program

I am very pleased to announce that Steve Swayne, Dartmouth's Director of the Montgomery Fellows Program, has been reappointed to a five-year term. He has held the role since 2019.

Established in 1977 by Kenneth and Harle Montgomery, the Montgomery Fellows Program aims to extend and enrich the College's curriculum by bringing outstanding luminaries from the academic world and non-academic spheres to campus. Designated lifelong "Montgomery Fellows," these distinguished individuals visit and stay in Hanover for varying lengths of time, ranging from a few days up to a full term.

Steve brings a robust vision to the program and actively seeks to break down disciplinary divides. He combines scholarly expertise in diverse areas of the arts with strong relationships across the College and integrates the program within teachings, students, and faculty across the institution. Since becoming Director, Steve has hosted many distinguished fellows, including Zia Haider Rahman, author; Salima Ikram, Egyptologist; Diego Romero, ceramicist; and Jake Sullivan, current United States National Security Advisor to President Biden. Steve has also welcomed prestigious guests such as Hillary Clinton and comedian Trevor Noah. His peers commend him for being remarkably proactive and adaptive to the ever-changing circumstances caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, as he shepherded, along with his colleagues, all the accommodations that were necessary to make the program thrive during these unbelievably tricky and extraordinary times.

In addition to his duties as Director, Steve is a concert pianist and serves as the Jacob H. Strauss 1922 Professor of Music in the Department of Music, where he teaches courses in art music from 1700 to the present day, opera, American musical theater, Russian music, and American music. Steve is currently completing a four-month residency in Washington D.C., serving as the Chair in Modern Culture at the Library of Congress to produce a book on the life and work of the influential 20th century American composer, David Diamond.

Please join me in congratulating Steve and thanking him for three years of outstanding service.

David Kotz, Provost