Ellen Caldwell Named Professor Emerita at Clarkson University
Clarkson University Research Professor Ellen Caldwell has been named professor emerita for 40 years of exceptional contributions to the University’s Arts, Culture and Technology Department. Formal recognition took place at a special ceremony on May 8.
Joining Clarkson in 1986, she was promoted to associate professor of Humanities in 1993 and named research professor in 2024.
An expert in Shakespeare and War Studies, Caldwell’s scholarship explores themes such as war in Shakespeare’s plays, national identity, and the ethics of memorialization. Her work has been presented at international conferences, and she is a multiple recipient of National Endowment for the Humanities summer fellowships.
Caldwell is widely recognized as an outstanding educator who bridged the humanities and STEM fields through innovative, interdisciplinary courses. Her classes, which ranged from Shakespeare and Greek mythology to ancient warfare and Renaissance-era science and society, combined rigorous scholarship with hands-on learning, earning high praise from students.
Her service to Clarkson has been equally significant. She has served on the faculty senate and key institutional committees, including tenure and promotion and academic policy groups, and played a major role in curriculum development. Within her department, she chaired and contributed to numerous committees and helped develop the literature major, while also advising student organizations.
Caldwell earned a Ph.D. in English in 1986 and a master’s degree in English in 1981, both from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and a bachelor’s degree in English in 1977 from Guilford College in North Carolina.
