Thomas Kohn receives Career Development Chairs Award

Associate Professor Thomas Kohn has received a 2014 Career Development Chairs Award. Career development chairs are awarded to as many as seven recently tenured faculty as part of the university's program to support faculty members' teaching and research endeavors in the developmental stages of their scholarly careers.

Since 1982, 217 university faculty members have held Career Development Chairs. The Career Development Chairs were established by generous grants to the Wayne State Fund and provide recipients with financial support, encouragement and recognition at a critical time in their careers.

Dr. Kohn received his award at the WSU Academic Recognition Ceremony on April 24, 2014.

About Thomas Kohn

Thomas Kohn is a well-respected scholar in the area of Roman literature and dramaturgy. His previous book, The Dramaturgy of Senecan Tragedy, focused on understanding Senecan tragedy by re-examining theatrical props and stage directions. The Career Development Chair will allow Kohn to work on his new project, entitled Narrative Interruption of Oratio Recta (Direct Speech) in Roman Literature. This book will pursue the idea that the performance of other non-dramatic genres in Latin literature must also be reconceived. By examining how the interruption of direct speech figures in these other genres, Kohn will demonstrate that ancient texts were intended not for reading by individuals, but for oral delivery via oral performance. His project is especially ambitious in the wide range of texts and genres he plans to encompass. His goal is to apply performance criticism not only to drama but also to other genres. Kohn has already begun his research on this subject and the Career Development Chair Award will allow him to make significant gains in this ambitious project.