Alumna and Professor Emerita
A new fund in support of the Irish Literature Program in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences will help the program grow and attract top graduate students. Janet Moriarty ’55, M.A.’66, Ph.D.’74, associate professor emerita, has established the Timothy F. Moriarty Award in Irish Literature to support activities such as conducting research at Irish institutions and attending academic conferences in the U.S. and abroad.
The fund is in memory of Moriarty’s grandfather, who was born and raised in Ireland.
“I’ve been wanting to give to UConn for a long time,” says Moriarty, who retired in 1997 after 27 years teaching modern and classical languages at the Greater Hartford campus. When considering how her gift might be most effective, she turned to her friend and former colleague Thomas F. Shea, associate professor, who specializes in Irish literature. In the Irish Literature Program, Moriarty saw an opportunity to support and help expand a program close to her heart.
The program, which currently offers a concentration in Irish literature, has seen a recent surge in enrollment and commitment, says Shea. In the past three years, UConn has recruited two assistant professors, Mary Burke (English Department) and Brendan Kane (History Department), who both previously held the prestigious National Endowment for the Humanities Keough Fellowship at the Keogh-Naughton Institute for Irish Studies at the University of Notre Dame. UConn is now considering a proposal to transform the literature program into an official minor—a step toward eventually establishing a broader Irish studies major.
“It just intrigued me. It’s a developing program, and I thought that was where the money could be put to good use,” says Moriarty. “And this was a way to honor my grandfather.”
“This is the kind of thing that’s very, very welcome news throughout the field,” notes Shea, who anticipates increased interest in the English Department’s graduate program based on the Moriarty fund. “Graduate students ask what kinds of library resources, what kinds of financial backing your program has. And now we can tout this, and it will definitely attract students. I think it’s a major plus and helps us to recruit competitively with the top institutions featuring Irish Studies.”
“My goal just really is to help anybody who could use the money to further their education, because obviously I’m a strong believer in the power of education,” says Moriarty. She adds, “And ultimately my final goal is to have the program develop into an Irish studies program.”
To support the Timothy F. Moriarty Award in Irish Literature fund, please contact Frank Gifford, director of development, at 860.486.6798.
