Andrew Carlson

President Dale Knobel said of Carlson, “Andy is a master violinist, a master teacher, an accomplished composer and arranger, and what the New York Times has called a ‘demon fiddler.’ His musical repertoire is comprehensive, ranging from classical to jazz to bluegrass, leading another publication to say that his playing ‘owes as much to Mendelssohn and Paganini, as to Charlie Daniels.’ He is well known at Denison for his critical leadership of the music department, his nurturing of intense enthusiasm for music in students, and his swelling of the ranks of talented individuals and musical groups at Denison. He also has become well-known in the Licking County and Ohio communities through the many performances of his bluegrass groups. Adding to a string of successful musical recordings over the years, he has just completed one of his many CDs, ‘Fiddlehead,’ on which he composed or arranged several of the 12 tracks.”

Knobel said of Arthos, “John is a deeply engaged and thought-provoking teacher who is known for his ability to help students navigate complex intellectual investigations while becoming confident in their own intellectual abilities. The Warner Chair pays special tribute to his recent book, ‘The Inner Word in Gadamer’s Hermeneutics,’ whose argument is characterized by deep, careful research and well-crafted prose. A major figure in the field has called the book ‘a model for future scholarship on Gadamer’s intellectual inheritance,’ noting that the book is a ‘massively learned text’ that is systematic and informative, and ‘extraordinarily detailed and insightful.’ He has produced this volume while, in the words of a colleague, he has fulfilled his duties in the department ‘with effectiveness, grace, and aplomb.’ ”

John Arthos

The John L. and Christine Warner Professorships are awarded to faculty members who have just completed a major project, such as a publication of a book, a juried art exhibition, a major performance, or a series of important scientific papers. Recipients are awarded the professorship largely on the basis of this major accomplishment. The Warner Professorships recognize faculty who are active in their scholarly and artistic professions, and who are effective teachers in the classroom. The Warner Professorships were established in 2004.

Christine Warner, a 1952 Denison alumna and longtime area resident, made her generous commitment to the professorships “on behalf of the youth of our community,” while asserting that Denison’s faculty “had a major impact” on her. Coming to college infrom rural Kansas, she said her Denison professors helped open her eyes “to a whole new world.” Christine’s late husband, John L. Warner, for whom these professorships also are named, graduated form Denison in 1950.

Carlson has been a member of the Denison faculty since 1999. He earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees of music at the University of Georgia (1992 and 1994) and his doctorate in musical arts in performance and pedagogy at the University of Iowa (1999). His areas of interest include classical violin, baroque music and Elvis Presley. With the guidance of Carlson and others, Denison’s music department has recently established an academic concentration in Bluegrass studies.

Arthos has been a member of the Denison faculty since 2000. He earned his bachelor’s degree in languages and literatures at the University of Michigan (1978), his master’s in education at Eastern Michigan University (1992), and his doctorate in communication with a specialization in rhetoric at Wayne State University (1996). His areas of interest include film and video production, electronic communications, and rhetoric.

Denison University, founded in 1831, is an independent, residential liberal arts institution located in Granville, Ohio. A highly selective college enrolling 2,100 full-time undergraduate students from all 50 states and dozens of foreign countries, Denison is a place where innovative faculty and motivated students collaborate in rigorous scholarship, civic engagement, and the cultivation of independent thinking.