DURHAM, N.H. - Charlotte Witt, professor of philosophy and humanities at the University of New Hampshire and recipient of the 2011 Lindberg Award, will deliver the Lindberg Lecture Tuesday, April 17, 2011. The highest award of the College of Liberal Arts, the Lindberg Award is given annually to an outstanding teacher and scholar in the college.

Witt's lecture, "Gender Essentialism: Identity or Classification?" begins at 1 p.m. in 110 Murkland Hall. The lecture is free and open to the public.

An internationally known specialist on Aristotle's metaphysics, Witt has published two books in the field, "Ways of Being: Potentiality and Actuality in Aristotle's Metaphysics" (Cornell University Press, 2003) and "Substance and Essence in Aristotle" (Cornell University Press, 1994). Witt also is a recognized feminist theorist with an important voice in contemporary feminist conversation in her recently published "The Metaphysics of Gender" (Oxford University Press, 2011).

"Professor Witt has demonstrated that she possesses the highest qualities of scholarship and teaching, and is most deserving of the Lindberg Award. She has proved to be a consistently productive scholar with wide-ranging interests and a dedicated teacher praised for her dynamism and command of subject," said Kenneth Fuld, dean of the UNH College of Liberal Arts.

Witt's varied scholarly interests have led to rich classroom experiences for her students as well as opportunities for cross-disciplinary study. She teaches not only in the philosophy and humanities programs, but also in the women's studies program with "Philosophy and Feminism," an extremely well-received course that students have described as "awesome." Across the breadth of her courses, students have recognized her excellent teaching, praising her enthusiasm, her command of the material, her ability to explain complex ideas and lead discussion, and the stimulating nature of her courses.

Beyond the classroom, she is a dedicated advisor and director of theses and independent studies. She has particularly distinguished herself as a mentor for young women. Witt holds a bachelor's degree from Swarthmore College and a Ph.D. from Georgetown University. She was appointed to the UNH faculty in 1987.

In keeping with tradition, the Lindberg Award celebration will include the announcement of the 2012 winner, who is Jan Golinski, professor of history and humanities. Golinski holds a bachelor's degree from Cambridge University in England and a Ph.D. from the University of Leeds. He was appointed to the UNH faculty in 1990.

"Professor Golinski's record of scholarship over the past two-plus decades is impressive. He is now considered a leading international scholar in the history of science. At the same time, he has shown a strong dedication to teaching at both the undergraduate and graduate level, and consistently earns high praise from students across the board," said Kenneth Fuld, dean of the UNH College of Liberal Arts.

Golinski has authored three books: "Science as Public Culture: Chemistry and Enlightenment in Britain, 1760-1820" (Cambridge University Press, 1992), "Making Natural Knowledge: Constructivism and the History of Science" (Cambridge University Press, 1998), and "British Weather and the Climate of Enlightenment" (Chicago University Press, 2007), which won the 2007 history book prize from Atmospheric Science Librarians International. He has co-edited a fourth book on enlightenment sciences; published dozens of book chapters, journal articles, and reviews; and is a regular participant at academic conferences.

Golinski has served on the editorial boards of four journals, including the three most important journals in his field. He has been recognized with a number of prestigious fellowships, most recently the Gordon Cain Distinguished Fellowship at the Chemical Heritage Foundation. His current book project examines the career of Humphry Davy, a 19th century British chemist and inventor.

The University of New Hampshire, founded in 1866, is a world-class public research university with the feel of a New England liberal arts college. A land, sea, and space-grant university, UNH is the state's flagship public institution, enrolling 12,200 undergraduate and 2,300 graduate students.

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