NEH Professorship Announcement

This appointment is the culmination of over 10 years of steady commitment to our humanities program at UNCA and represents a career milestone. The three year appointment runs from 2023-2026 and will allow me to focus on and support the things that are most dear to me: community connections, performing arts, technology, and faculty support.

From the provost: It is my pleasure to announce Dr. William Bares, Professor of Music, as the next NEH Distinguished Professor for 2023-2026.  

Dr. Bares’s proposal and scholarly project focused on infusing music across the curriculum in support of global cultural diversity, which aligns well with the interdisciplinarity of the Humanities Program and will connect well with its courses.  Dr. Bares has exhibited a distinct commitment to the Humanities program, both in a leadership capacity and as a collaborator in most of the program’s latest initiatives.  He expressed in his application a willingness to mentor faculty, promote the program on and off campus, and work closely with the director, coordinators, and community board to support the development of 378 and other critical HUM and university priorities. 

Dr. Bares indicated a desire to integrate music and the performing arts into the Humanities program as a way to touch the soul of faculty and students. I appreciate his perspective that the performing arts will afford critical insight into shared humanity, while also offering up instructive differences in perspective.  Further, a planned interdisciplinary conference to showcase the creative and intellectual work of our students and faculty alongside the work of national and international figures, on- and off-campus, centering both music and environmental activism, will be attractive to a wide audience and will raise the visibility of our Humanities Program while promoting our university’s core values of diversity, innovation, and sustainability. 

For Dr. Bares, the NEH Professorship represents a leadership role that is full of collaborative and creative possibilities.  As a supporter of fellow faculty, students, and staff, he has identified key areas for growth while seeking to foster continuities across stewardship terms, and in particular, continuities related to the increased representation and understanding of marginalized groups.