Professor Povitz was my first professor at Middlebury. I say the first because, although I had 3 other professors at the same time, she is the professor who takes you in and makes you feel seen. She doesn’t just impart knowledge or wisdom–she enters into relationship with every class and student she has. It must be exhausting work; I think every student who has had the opportunity to take Povitz’s class will understand how she raises the bar of commitment as a professor to an almost superhuman standard. She understands that the work of a college professor is a triple bottom line: it is not only to produce scholarly work, not even just to teach (although she does a hell of a lot more of that than the average professor) but to engage in community. To nurture it, to make it more whole than when she started. She has been one of the most successful professors in my estimation and experience when it comes to these three facets of a professor’s work. 

Connor Wertz ’22

I took Prof. Povitz’s History of U.S. Radicalism course my second semester at Middlebury; even now in my senior year, I consider it one of the top three classes I’ve ever taken. The atmosphere of the course was unlike any other I’d taken; I’ve never been in an environment where everyone felt more comfortable to explore new ideas, take intellectual risks, and build off of each other’s thoughts. It was definitely the only three hour seminar I’ve ever taken where students would get so caught up in the material we’d nearly forget to take the scheduled break. (Even more notable for being a night class!) And it was the only class I’ve ever taken where I genuinely looked forward to reading and writing discussion posts: it was great to spend the ensuing days continuing the conversations we’d have in class and have an avenue to thank someone for making a great point and changing your thinking. I actually felt like I was in a real community with my classmates. Prof. Povitz made that kind of very special intellectual environment possible, which was all the more meaningful for the many of us who came to class with perspectives and/or backgrounds that otherwise guarantee a degree of isolation on Middlebury’s campus. I felt intellectually nourished and spiritually at home in that course in a way that’s very rare. At the same time, Prof. Povitz’s course constantly challenged my perspective on social movements and social change, and made me engage with history and politics in a far more rigorous way. I’m very lucky to have had that experience and I think future Middlebury students should have the chance to have it as well. 

Caitlin Barr 22.5

Professor Povitz’s classes are exciting and engaging. I often left class still thinking about the points that she raised. Professor Povitz’s comments on my assignments were the best I received from any professor. Not only was it clear that Povitz had read my assignment, but she also offered both criticism and opportunities for further reading. No one else has done that for me in my 4 years at Midd! 

I took Professor Povitz’s History of U.S. Radicalism class in the fall of 2019 on a whim. I didn’t expect to enjoy the class as much as I did, but it was one of my favorite classes that I ever took at Middlebury. Prof. Povitz doesn’t lecture in the traditional way, which is what I had expected of a history class, but rather she creates a really open yet rigorous discussion space and taught us how to be better learners, in addition to, of course, the course content. Two years later, I still regularly use the frameworks she taught me to think about the impacts, influences, and legacies of social movements. In class, we were encouraged to think of good questions and to be curious and honest rather than eloquent, and to treat the class like a community with common standards and dreams. She was always extremely supportive and dedicated inside and outside the classroom, always being willing to give advice in office hours on any topic, even lending me books that she thought I would find interesting (which, of course, they were). She made her own course survey at the end of the semester, saving time for us to discuss in person what we most enjoyed and what we felt could have been better, a rare ask from a Middlebury professor. In spring 2020, I took another course with her. In the face of the pandemic, she created a survey asking what we needed most and sent us two playlists. She instituted a letter writing practice, where we write a letter about our lives and the readings, to encourage us to stay connected in a more human way while still critically engaging with the course content. When on campus, if I or any student mentioned an event that we were planning like a rally, a concert, a conference, or other event, she always came to support us with enthusiasm and deep care. I am so grateful to her for all that she taught me both when I was a student and after graduating as we have kept in touch since I left Middlebury. I know that all students who cross her path –in the classroom or outside of it–recognize the truly inspiring and passionate person that she is. Middlebury has already gained so much from her time as a visiting professor, that it would be a true loss to pass up this opportunity to offer her a tenure-track position. 

Cara Levine ’20