Melia has distinguished himself in the world of theoretical astrophysics. He is a renowned professor in physics, astronomy and applied mathematics at the University of Arizona. He will arrive at Amherst as a John Woodruff Simpson Lecturer, a position that was once held by Robert Frost.
“[It] is a rarely awarded position here at Amherst, and not part of the usual program of visiting professors,” said George Greenstein, Sidney Dillon Professor of Astronomy, expressing his excitement in having such a distinguished colleague.
Melia will teach a class entitled “High Energy Astrophysics” in the upcoming fall. In the course, he will cover topics such as relativity, energy sources, active galactic nuclei and gamma ray burst sources.
On the opposite end of the academic spectrum, Bacevich, who was selected as a John J. McCloy ’16 Professor of American Institutions and International Diplomacy, will teach a history course called “Ideas and American Foreign Policy” in the fall.
Bacevich’s credentials include a degree from West Point, professorship in the Department of International Relations at Boston University and service during the Vietnam War. He has also authored numerous books and frequently contributes to publications like The Washington Post and The New York Times.
Bacevich’s “Ideas and American Foreign Policy,” which he also teaches at Boston University, aims “to examine the ideas underpinning U.S. foreign policy and informing the foreign policy debate.” The course will take a chronological approach to the history of our nation’s foreign policy.
Robert Kagan, a senior associate at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and an adjunct history professor at Georgetown University, will visit as a guest lecturer in the fall and will return as a McCloy Professor in the spring term.
His course, which has not been listed yet in the catalogue, will trace the United States’ relations with the rest of the world and the principles that have guided that relationship.
Kagan also serves on the Council on Foreign Relations and acted as John McCain’s foreign policy advisor during the 2008 election. Prior to that, he served in the State Department from 1984 to 1988. His accomplishments have earned him a spot on both Foreign Policy and Prospect magazines’ list of the world’s “Top 100 Public Intellectuals.”