Madison U. Sowell, the Scheuber and Veinz Professor of Humanities and Languages and a professor of French and Italian at Brigham Young University, has been named Honors Program director and an associate dean of Undergraduate Education.
He replaces J. Scott Miller, who has returned to full-time teaching in the Department of Asian and Near Eastern Languages.
In addition, Shauna Damitz Barrick is replacing Heather Price as Honors Program administrative assistant.
Sowell graduated with highest honors from BYU as an Honors Program student in 1975. “I never dreamed that I would be invited to direct the Honors Program three decades later,” he said.
He received his master’s and doctoral degrees in Romance languages and literature from Harvard University and has taught at BYU since 1979. A former Karl G. Maeser General Education Professor, Alcuin Fellow and recipient of other teaching awards, he chaired the Department of French and Italian for nine years (1989-1998) and presided over the Italy Milan Mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for three years (1998-2001).
A specialist in medieval and Renaissance Italian literature, Sowell has written, edited, translated or published six book-length studies and more than 90 scholarly articles, essays and book reviews. He previously chaired BYU's Faculty General Education Council and served as a member of the Honor Code Advisory Council, the University Strategic Planning and Self-Study Committee and also the Admissions Committee.
Barrick earned her bachelor’s degree from BYU in University Studies, graduating with honors. After serving a mission to Nagoya, Japan, she finished a master’s degree in educational administration with an emphasis in community education.
Writer: Cecelia Fielding
