The university community mourns the sudden May 21 death of Glen Elder, associate dean of the College of Arts and Sciences and associate professor of geography. Elder, who was South African by birth, was a gifted teacher and scholar, as well as a committed activist who served on the board of Vermont Cares.

Elder came to UVM as a visiting professor in 1995, earned tenure in 2002, and served as chair of the Department of Geography from 2005 to 2008, when he was appointed interim associate dean, a position that was to become permanent in July. He was in the process of preparing his dossier for consideration to promotion to the rank of full professor this fall.

"Glen was a thoroughly good man: kind, generous, smart, witty, wry, stylish, creative," says Eleanor Miller, dean of CAS.

Elder received the 2003 Kroepsch-Maurice award for excellence in teaching — a vocation that he approached with enormous passion and for which he was widely beloved — and the Dean's Lecture Award from CAS in 2005.

"Watching him teach was extraordinary," says Beverley Wemple, associate professor and interim chair of geography, who co-taught a course with Elder. "He was performing, and he captivated students' attention, using that skill to help them think about things that they wouldn't otherwise be challenged to think about. He was the consummate academic," she continues. "He loved mentoring, marshalling junior faculty, he loved the research."

A productive scholar, Elder's recent work focused on the effects of post-9/11 border policies — the economic, social and political realities for people living in border communities, particularly those between Vermont and Quebec. He was also interested in the development of a historical economic geography of HIV/AIDS in southern Africa. Elder's research invariably worked to challenge power structures, exploitation, and marginalization of any stigmatized group.

Interesting in light of Vermont's recent passage of same-sex marriage rights, Elder presented research in 2006 demonstrating the demographic similarities between same-sex and heterosexual couples who seek to marry.

Elder summarized his findings with these words, in an article about his research: "Gays and lesbians who aspire towards the symbolic and real material benefits of marriage are no different from other people who aspire towards domestic stability and material comfort. They are middle class; they want the stuff of a middle-class lifestyle. These are not people who are ripping the fabric of America."

Elder was committed to community service, serving, in addition to his work with Vermont Cares, as co-chair of the President's Commission on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgendered Equity and as faculty representative to the Board of Trustees Committee on Socially Responsible Investing, among many other commitments.

And he was a friend to many. "When I moved my family to Burlington in the summer of 2006 to start my new position at UVM," says Meghan Cope, associate professor of geography and incoming chair this fall, "Glen showed up at our door in a thunderstorm with a huge City Market bag full of goodies to welcome us. He worked hard to help each of us who were new to the department make our way in Burlington and at UVM."

For students, Cope says, Elder was their champion: "Glen was incredibly sharp and often critical, but his high standards meant that when he approved of something it was really good. His high expectations brought out (students') best, and they loved him for it."

Elder died unexpectedly while jogging near his home in the Old North End of Burlington, leaving a void for his family, friends, and colleagues. "He brought grace and integrity to everything that he did," says Gregory Ramos, assistant professor of theatre. "Everyone who had contact with him in the UVM community was very lucky, and they recognized that."

Elder is survived by his longtime partner, Mick Conley, and father, Peter Elder. A campus memorial service will be held Friday, September 25 at 2 p.m. in Ira Allen Chapel. A reception will follow from 3 to 4:30 p.m. in Billings Center.