The Residential College honors the retirements of two longtime faculty members whose teaching and mentorship shaped the RC community: Virginia Murphy (Social Theory and Practice) and Mark Kirschenmann (Music).
Virginia Murphy
Virginia Murphy, Lecturer in the Social Theory and Practice Program, taught courses on environmental literature, food systems, and social justice. Jointly appointed in the RC and the Program in the Environment, she built a career at the intersection of teaching, research, and hands-on learning. Murphy helped create and direct the East Quad Garden, advised dozens of student research projects, and in 2019 chaired the Community of Food, Society and Justice Conference.
Her classes such as Corn in East Quad!, Environmental Activism, and The Literature of Environmental and Social Justice introduced students to urgent conversations about sustainability and equity. She was recognized with the Program in the Environment’s Outstanding Instructor Award and served on multiple RC and PitE committees.
Mark Kirschenmann
Mark Kirschenmann, Lecturer IV in Music, is widely known for his work as a performer, composer, and improviser. At the RC, he taught courses in music and directed the Creative Arts Orchestra, where students explored collaborative improvisation.
Outside the classroom, Kirschenmann gained international recognition for his pioneering live electric trumpet performances and collaborations with musicians across jazz and experimental music. He performed with ensembles including E3Q, which he co-founded, and released recordings such as Icosahedron: 20 Improvisations for Pitch-to-MIDI Trumpet.
Looking Ahead
Both Murphy and Kirschenmann leave strong legacies in the RC through the students they mentored, the programs they built, and the connections they fostered between the arts, social justice, and environmental study.
The RC thanks them for their many contributions and wishes them well in retirement!
