Congratulations to Professor Camilla Townsend for being named the new Jay I. Kislak Chair for the Study of the History and Cultures of the Early Americas at The John W. Kluge Center of the Library of Congress for 2024-2025.
The Kislak Chair supports in-depth research projects in the disciplines of archaeology, history, cartography, epigraphy, linguistics, ethnohistory, ethnography, bibliography, and sociology, with an emphasis on interdisciplinary projects that combine disciplines in novel and productive ways.
Professor Townsend explained the process of how she received the position offer, which she later accepted. She explained that the Jay Kislak Chair is not something one can apply for. The Kluge Center at the Library of Congress accepts nominations from past chairs and further on, they complete their own vetting process. Eventually, they decide whom they would like to call and offer the position. At that point, the recipient can accept or reject the offer.
When asked about her future plans related to this position, Professor Townsend said: " I will continue my work with the Nahuatl (or Aztec) language sources I have been studying for a number of years. But I will also combine that work with research in the Mesoamerican material culture collections of the Library of Congress and Dumbarton Oaks (another research institution in DC). I am very excited!"
Once again, Congratulations to Professor Townsend and we wish her all the best on this new endeavor!
From Estampas Copiadas de las Figuras, Palenque, Mexico: 1787. Jay I. Kislak Collection.
