Molly Easo Smith
Molly Easo Smith (born 1958 in Chennai, India) is
anIndian-American professor and scholar of Shakespeareand
Renaissance drama, and academic administrator.
1 Biography
Born in Chennai (formerly Madras) in India, Dr. Smithgraduated
from Ethiraj Womens College and MadrasChristian College in the
University of Madras, withBA and MA degrees in English,
respectively, and fromAuburn University with a Ph.D. in English
Literature in1988. Smith has written two books and several articles
onShakespeare and Renaissance drama. Her research andteaching
interests include the sixteenth and seventeenthcenturies,
Shakespeare, Women in Drama, and the devel-opment of theatre. She
has held faculty and administra-tive posts at Ithaca College, St.
Louis University, the Uni-versity of Aberdeen in Scotland, Seton
Hall University,and Wheaton College (MA), and served as the
eleventhPresident of Manhattanville College.[1]
Smith serves on the Board of Trustees at Fairleigh Dick-inson
University and on the Executive Committee of theInternational
Association of University Presidents, whereshe leads an initiative
to develop women as academicleaders globally. She was recognized by
the WestchesterBusiness Council as Businesswoman of the Year at
theannual Awards Banquet in April 2011.[2] She was alsorecognized
for her leadership in education by the Na-tional Federation of
Indian Americans[3] and by the Ker-ala Center.[4] She was featured
in the New York Timesas one among a handful of foreign-born
presidents of USColleges and Universities.[5]
However, her career is punctuated by controversy. Sheleft Seton
Hall releasing a Seton Hall professor from ad-ministrative duties,
as a result of which she received avote of no condence from a
minority of the college ofarts & sciences faculty.[6]
There were also numerous controversies that surroundedher tenure
at Manhattanville, including: (1) a large scaleprotest by students
in May 2010. According to a localnewspaper, the Harrison Patch,[7]
Most of the outragewas focused toward the schools newly inaugurated
pres-ident, Dr. Molly Easo Smith. Students say that Smith,who has
only been president since April 7, 2010, has cutprograms and made
changes without taking input fromstudents and sta[7] and: (2) an
exodus of many longtime, and well respected, administrators,
particularly in
Admissions and Student Admin, including the academicdean and
acting vice president for student aairs, and vicepresident of
enrollment. The article of May 6, 2010 inthe Harrison Patch noted
that, with respect to the resign-ing administrators, Many of the
students protesting wereinternational students who said that [one
of those depart-ing admins] had played a major part of their
decision tocome to the school.[7] According to a communique
fromRobert Hall, Chairman of the Board of Trustees,
theManhattanville College Board of Trustees is announcingan
executive management transition. Molly Easo Smith,Ph.D. has decided
to step down from her role as Presidenteective today, May
31.[7]
2 PersonalSmith attributes her commitment to education to the
in-uence of several women: her grandmother whose edu-cation ceased
when she married at the age of twelve; hermother who longed to
attend college but had to work in-stead from the age of sixteen;
her godmother who wasa Professor of English in Madras, having
fought againstmany odds to ensure her own education and
indepen-dence.Her hobbies include playing tennis and writing short
sto-ries based on her life in India.
3 Books Breaking Boundaries: Politics and Play in theDrama of
Shakespeare and his Contemporaries(1998)
The Darker World Within: Evil in the Tragedies ofShakespeare and
his Successors (1991)
4 References[1] Joseph, George (May 7, 2010). Molly Smith
inaugu-
rated as head of Manhattanville College. Redi.com.Retrieved 11
August 2014.
[2]
http://www.westchester.com/news/westchesternews/business/14672-2011-business-hall-of-fame-winners-announced.html
1
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