UA Names Blount Undergraduate Initiative Director, Housemaster

TUSCALOOSA, Ala – An award-winning teacher and an interdisciplinary specialist have been appointed director and housemaster, respectively, in the Blount Undergraduate Initiative at The University of Alabama by Dr. James D. Yarbrough, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences.

Dr. Joseph Hornsby, associate professor of English and director of graduate studies in the department of English at UA, will serve as director of the Blount Undergraduate Initiative. Hornsby is responsible for academic program oversight and development and Blount Initiative facilities management. As director, he will head the Blount Undergraduate Initiative advisory board.

Dr. Richard Richards, an assistant professor with joint appointments in New College and the Blount Undergraduate Initiative, has been appointed housemaster in the Blount program. Richards, and his wife, Rita Snyder, instructor of dance in UA’s department of theatre and dance, will reside in the faculty apartment in the new Blount Living-Learning Center.

The Living-Learning Center is the residency for freshmen Blount students and includes classrooms and reading rooms and serves as the site for special activities and evening discussions with faculty.

Hornsby and Richards are well acquainted with the special liberal arts program. They are Blount Fellows and taught the Blount freshman foundation course in the program’s inaugural year. Hornsby and Richards co-coordinated the Blount Undergraduate Initiative faculty committee appointed by Yarbrough that developed the freshman foundation course.

"With his strong background in the Blount program, Joe Hornsby knows and understands the Blount Initiative and its mission," said Yarbrough. "Most importantly, in a program that emphasizes close student-teacher relationships, he has the respect and admiration of Blount students as well as other Blount Fellows. An award-winning

teacher, Dr. Hornsby has the proven abilities that will serve him well as director of this important academic program. Dr. Hornsby is uniquely suited to lead the Blount program."

Yarbrough said Richards brings an extremely strong interdisciplinary background to the Blount program as a philosopher, professional dancer, and artist.

"He has an excellent rapport with Blount students as a teacher and mentor," said Yarbrough. "I’m certain that Richards’ and Snyder’s presence in the new Living Learning Center as a faculty couple will amply reinforce the ideal of learning as a way of life that is so important to the Blount program."

Hornsby joined the UA faculty in 1984 and has served as director of undergraduate and graduate studies in the department of English. At UA, he is the recipient of the 1999 Morris L. Mayer Award, the 1998 South Atlantic Association of Departments of English Distinguished Teaching Award, the 1996 Penny Allen Award for Commitment to Students and the 1994 UA National Alumni Association Outstanding Commitment to Teaching Award. Hornsby was also appointed as a College of Arts and Sciences Distinguished Teaching Fellow from 1995 to 1998.

Hornsby specializes in Chaucer and medieval English literature and is the author of Chaucer and the Law. He received a doctorate in English from the University of Toronto and a master of arts degree in English from UA. He also has a law degree from the UA School of Law.

Richards received his doctorate and master of arts degrees in philosophy from Johns Hopkins University. His areas of specialty include philosophy of science, philosophy of biology, and history of science. As a professional dancer, he danced with major ballet companies in the United States and Europe, including Royal Ballet of Flanders.

Snyder received her master of fine arts and her bachelor of fine arts degrees in dance at the University of Utah. She danced professionally for 14 years with eight companies including the Berkshire Ballet and the American Festival Ballet. She has subsequently taught in modern dance, ballet, and ethnic forms at a number of colleges and dance schools.

The Blount Undergraduate Initiative is a four-year liberal arts program in the College of Arts and Sciences designed to create an intensive learning experience for highly motivated students. The Blount Undergraduate Initiative began in August 1999.