LATROBE, PA — Dr. Sara Lindey, professor of English and chair of the English Department in the School of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences, was presented with the Boniface Wimmer Faculty Award on Wednesday during the 2024 Saint Vincent College Spring Honors Convocation at the Saint Vincent Archabbey Basilica.
Named in honor of the founder of Saint Vincent College and Archabbey and a pioneer of Benedictine monasticism in the United State, the Wimmer Award annually recognizes a senior faculty member at the College who has demonstrated sustained excellence.
“Sara Lindey is a collaborative, insightful and open-minded colleague,” said Dr. Elaine Bennett, dean of the School of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences. “Her work with the Fred Rogers Institute and leadership of the Campus Writing Program, including Core Writing, exemplifies the kind of interdepartmental collaboration that makes Saint Vincent College strong.”
A member of the national liberal arts honor society Phi Beta Kappa, Dr. Lindey directs the Campus Writing Program and teaches widely in American literature, including environmental literature and women’s literature. She has been the faculty sponsor of the Saint Vincent College chapter of Sigma Tau Delta, the only accredited national English honor society, for the past 15 years.
“Post-tenure, I enacted a mid-career shift which has been a great motivation and joy,” Dr. Lindey said during her acceptance speech. “Now, I work on Fred Rogers, thanks in large part to Junlei Li, former Fred Rogers Center director, who promised me that Fred’s simple yet deep messages were worthy of academic study.”
In addition to presenting 10 conference papers on Rogers, Dr. Lindey also is a co-author of “The Green Mister Rogers: Environmentalism in ‘Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood.’” The book focuses on the messages of environmentalism in Rogers’ long-running program on public television, especially expressed during his themed week “Caring for the Environment,” produced in 1990 to mark the 20th anniversary of Earth Day.
Dr. Lindey is working on a project related to the representation of childhood and the sociality of technology in Rogers’ work. The project also will explore Rogers’ themed “divorce week” of five shows in February 1981.
PHOTO: Dr. Sara Lindey (left) and Fr. Paul Taylor, O.S.B, president of Saint Vincent College