Lynn Wood Neag Distinguished Visiting Professorship, University of Connecticut

I was fortunate to spend the spring 2020 semester as the Lynn Wood Neag Distinguished Visiting Professor in the Department of English at the University of Connecticut. The endowed chair was established in 1997 by Raymond Neag, a 1956 graduate of the university, to honor his late wife, who was Scottish. As an American of Scottish descent, whose great-great grandfather emigrated with his parents from Glasgow to the United States—via Liverpool and Canada—in the nineteenth century, I felt particularly privileged to assume this position. My own journey to Storrs from Kaifeng, China, where I now live and work, was far less arduous. However, over the course of the semester, I have often thought about Murdoch Morrison, who died of the Spanish flu during the last major pandemic. As nations contend with COVID-19, we are all reminded of the importance of international cooperation. This visiting professorship plays an important role in linking UConn to the wider world.