It’s official: Sheffield Centre for Early Modern Studies is now under new direction.
In September, SCEMS’ founding director Professor Phil Withington became Head of the Department of History here at the University of Sheffield. The roles are not wholly incompatible, but each has the potential to be all-consuming. Phil was thus prompted to relinquish the reins of SCEMS, having first sought out his successors: Dr Tom Leng (History) and Dr Tom Rutter (English).
At our Seasonal Celebration last week, SCEMS members welcomed “Team Tom”. The dynamic duo have already secured funding for a visiting speaker from mainland Europe (as part of the HRI European Fellowship scheme) with other plans including a Jonsonian event next autumn.
We also took the opportunity to show our gratitude to Phil, pictured below receiving his special copy of the SCEMS mascot (the rhinoceros from Edward Topsell’s History of Four-Footed Beasts).
Phil remains an active member of SCEMS Steering Group, along with Jeremy Dunham (Philosophy), David McCallam (French, School of Languages and Cultures), John Moreland (Archaeology), Tim Shephard (Music), Cathy Shrank (English), Jan Woudstra (Landscape History) and the SCEMS and EMDG Coordinators.
