Bucknell Announces Recipients of the 2018 Harold & Gladys Cook Awards

Bucknell Provost Barbara Altmann announced the selection of Professors of English Joe Scapellato and Virginia Zimmerman as recipients of the 2018 Harold & Gladys Cook Awards. The awards provide financial support to faculty members in the Division of Arts & Humanities to encourage travel for the exploration of intellectual or creative interests other than their primary research.

Scapellato, who teaches creative writing and screenwriting, will travel to Sicily to take Italian language classes, immerse himself in the island's culture and explore the birth home of his father. "I'm always thinking about the power and magic of language, but I've found it challenging to make the time to learn other languages," he said.

Zimmerman, a novelist who specializes in Victorian and children's literature, will travel to Scotland, where she will explore an unexpected connection of history, literature and family tracing back to King Duncan I of Scotland. She is particularly interested in learning more about the three daughters of Malcolm II, one of whom was the mother of Duncan I, and who are perhaps the inspiration for the three sisters in Shakespeare's Macbeth.

"The Cook Award helps faculty members in the arts & humanities travel to pursue interests outside of their main research areas," said Altmann. "Just as students benefit from exploring in our liberal arts curriculum, professors, too, can gain a great deal through exploration of different fields or new aspects of their discipline. This award encourages them to pursue their passion for these subjects, which then infuses their scholarship and teaching with fresh ideas and enthusiasm."

The awards of up to $2,500 are given annually in honor of Professors Harold and Gladys Cook, former members of the Bucknell faculty.