Muhlenberg College Professor Wins Major National Award
Charles O. Anderson, associate professor of dance and director of the African-American Studies program at Muhlenberg College, has been named one of 12 “Emerging Scholars” for 2011.Thursday, January 6, 2011 11:45 AM
The scholars are chosen by and profiled in Diversemagazine.
In its Jan. 6 edition, Diverse profiles 12 “under 40” scholars from around the country who are making their mark in the academy through teaching, research and service. These outstanding scholars serve as an inspiration to both students and colleagues.
Anderson, a native of Richmond, Va., holds a B.A. in performance and choreography from Cornell University, and an M.F.A. with honors from Temple University. Over the past 10 years, his choreography has been presented nationally and internationally through such venues as Symphony Space and Danspace at St. Mark's Church in New York City, the Philadelphia Live Arts/Fringe Festival, Danceboom! at the Wilma Theatre, and Painted Bride in Philadelphia, Velocity Dance Center in Seattle, The Southern Theater in Minneapolis, and the International Festival for Modern Dance in Kaunas, Lithuania among others.
He has performed in the companies of such noted choreographers as Ronald K. Brown, Sean Curran, Mark Dendy, Talley Beatty and Miguel Guttierez among others. Charles' choreography has been funded by The National Performance Network, Dance Advance, The Community Education Center's New Edge Residency, the Susan Hess Choreographer's Project and The Puffin Foundation.
Anderson continues to enjoy a successful career as choreographer, performer and artistic director of his Philadelphia based dance company, dance theatre X. In 2007 he was recognized for his choreographic achievements and potential and received a prestigious Pew Fellowship in the Arts recipient. Pew Fellowships in the Arts awards grants of $60,000 to artists working in a wide variety of performing, visual, and literary disciplines.
In 2008, Anderson and dance theatre X were selected among the "25 to Watch" by Dance Magazine. His most recent project is an evening-length work entitled "World Headquarters," inspired by the works of late science fiction writer Octavia Butler, which premiered in Seattle and Philadelphia in the fall of 2010. Anderson's choreographed work for Muhlenberg dancers was selected for presentation at the 2008 and 2010 American College Dance Festival, at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C.
Muhlenberg hosts dance theatre X as company-in-residence every summer, during which time Anderson develops new choreographic work with the company.
Diverse, then Black Issues In Higher Education, first published its “Emerging Scholars” edition in 2002. It has remained one of the magazine’s most popular editions since its inception. Diverse editors selects honorees from a pool of candidates recommended by various scholars, department chairs, university public information officers, and others.
Each scholar is selected based on research, educational background, publishing record, teaching record, competitiveness of field of study, and uniqueness of field of study.
The “Emerging Scholars” for 2011 are:
Dr. Terrell Strayhorn, associate professor of higher education, The Ohio State University
Dr. Rochelle Parks-Yancy, associate business professor, Texas Southern
Charles O. Anderson, associate professor of dance and director of the African-American studies program at Muhlenberg College.
Dr. Chekesha Liddell, associate professor of materials science and engineering, Cornell University.
Dr. Wayne Alix Ian Frederick, associate professor, Howard University Medical School, specializes in surgical oncology.
Dr. Gina Núñez-Mchiri, an assistant professor of Cultural Anthropology in the Department of Sociology and Anthropology at UT El Paso
Dr. Federico Ardila, assistant professor of mathematics at San Francisco State University,
Dr. Victoria DeFrancesco Soto, Assistant Professor of Political Science, Northwestern University;
Dr. Carlos D. Bustamante, a population geneticist at Stanford University
Dr. Ashlesh Murthy, research assistant professor of biology, University of Texas-San Antonio
Yiyun Li, an associate professor of English, at the University of California at Davis
Sarah Deer, Assistant Professor, William Mitchell College of Law in Minnesota.
