Faculty, staff, and students are invited to the Feb. 3 dedication of Sorum House in memory of former Dean of Faculty Christina E. Sorum. The reception is set for 4-6 p.m., with the dedication at 5.
A beloved member of the campus community, inspiring teacher and passionate advocate of liberal arts education, Sorum died of a heart attack last spring. The Minerva system reflects the kind of social and intellectual interactions she created naturally.
In particular, Sorum was a strong champion for Union's distinctive broad education, undergraduate research and international study. She served the College in a variety of administrative capacities including department chair and was a member of the General Education Board, Faculty Review Board, Academic Affairs Council and numerous tenure and review committees.
A native of Jacksonville, Ill., Sorum graduated from Wellesley College with honors in Greek and received a Ph.D. from Brown University. She was a visiting instructor at Union in 1973-1974, became an assistant professor at North Carolina State University and returned to Union in 1982 as an associate professor and chair of the Department of Classics. She became the Frank Bailey Professor in 1992. She was named dean of arts and sciences in 1994, acting dean of faculty in 1999, and dean of faculty and vice president of academic affairs in 2000.