Congratulations to Phyllis and Marilyn on Their Retirement!
By Julia von Gersdorff
On Thursday, May 18, in the Nobili Hall dining room here on campus, almost 100 faculty members and staff attended the retirement party of esteemed English Department faculty members Marilyn Edelstein and Phyllis Brown, who are retiring after teaching at Santa Clara for 36 and 41 years, respectively. As many other members of the SCU community mentioned during their speeches at the gathering, both Marilyn and Phyllis have “contributed, for many years, to the slow process of identifying problems, and working on improvements, in university policies & practices,” making them core members of not just the English department, but of the greater SCU work and study environment as a whole.
English Chair Julia Voss shared some remarks about both of these outstanding faculty members, drawing on the collective memories of the English faculty. She reflected on how both Marilyn and Phyllis have served as role models for her, taking inspiration from their wisdom and experience and their ability to “fight tenaciously for justice and fairness and to keep an open mind to new and challenging ideas.” As Julia described, these two women have “cast a gloriously long shadow” that will remain a guide for herself and the many faculty that Phyllis and Marilyn made a mark on.
Additionally, Diane Jonte-Pace, professor emerita and former Vice Provost for Academic Affairs, made some very memorable remarks during the gathering, speaking about Marilyn and Phyllis’s commitment to “transformative teaching -- the kind of teaching that engages students at a deep level”, as well as their dedication to “justice, equality, and diversity… [and being] remarkably innovative, collaborative, and generous”. Diane recalled a memory from 30 years ago about one of the first interdisciplinary workshops offered for SCU faculty on critical theory, at which Marilyn was a core force in teaching, “deeply knowledgeable and highly skilled in pedagogical strategies,” paving the way for these conversations and seminars to continue to develop at SCU. Diane also highlighted Marilyn’s overwhelming generosity, something which many other faculty members also mentioned. As for Phyllis, Diane spoke very highly of her as leadership of Santa Clara’s accreditation work and development of the Core Curriculum. She also highlighted Phyllis’s extensive research and her generosity, and emphasized how this indispensable trait is shared between the two women in their time as integral members of the SCU community.
Many of the other faculty colleagues and friends also contributed words of gratitude, farewell, and joyous and nostalgic memories, recalling her role as a “leader of campus resistance and her dogged determination to hold Santa Clara accountable to its social justice mission”. As Robin Tremblay McGaw said, it would be difficult to imagine the department without her “fiery voice” and her determined spirit which always spoke “truth to power”. Tim Myers later added that he could always rely on Marilyn during meetings to bring up insightful, important questions which hadn’t come to the forefront of his mind. Of Phyllis, many English faculty commented on her ongoing commitment to building community and fostering inclusion in the English department, especially with new faculty. Jackie Hendricks recalled that the first time she met Phyllis, she told Jackie that it might take a while to remember her name, but that in actuality, Phyllis never once forgot it. Jackie also added that Phyllis, for herself and for many others, has been an incredibly ”valuable mentor” who has been “instrumental” in shaping Jackie’s career. Heather Turner also recollected how she also admires and greatly looks up to Phyllis’s commitment to being incredibly welcoming, and encouraging others to build relationships within the SCU community, as well as her ability to “find personal enjoyment every day”.
Overall, the retirement party was a great success; a bittersweet moment to celebrate Marilyn and Phyllis and to send them off into the next chapter of their lives with the utmost respect, love, and gratitude. As a further sign of their contributions to the Department, College, and University, the English faculty unanimously voted for – and the Dean’s Office and Provost’s Office approved – conferring emerita status for both Phyllis and Marilyn.
