Michael Lestz Named Director of Endowment for Asian Engagement
Associate Professor of History Michael Lestz ’68 has been
named faculty director of the O’Neill Asia Cum Laude Endowment,
which was established last spring through a generous gift from
Michael and Trish O’Neill, parents of Michael “Ted” O’Neill ’08. The
endowment is designed to promote student engagement with Asia and is
expected to bolster the College’s position as a major center for the
study of Asian cultures.
“Over time Trinity has built a remarkable Asian Studies program,”
explains Lestz. “Both the East and South Asian worlds are covered by
faculty specialists in various fields, and there has been a good
deal of cross-fertilization. We have learned from each other and
constructed a curricular program within which courses do not stand
in splendid isolation but are fitted together in a template that
encourages exploration beyond the boundaries of regions or national
narratives.”
Professor Lestz, a member of the Trinity faculty since 1980, has
served as director of international studies, chair of the history
department, and director of Asian programs—where he oversaw the
development of collaborative relationships with several Asian
universities including Qinghua University in Beijing, and Vietnam
National University in Hanoi. He has twice been awarded National
Endowment for the Humanities teaching grants and was a founder of
the Trinity Himalayas Global Learning Site. In addition, he has led
Trinity students, alumni, and friends of the College on study tours
or to pursue course work in China, Cambodia, Tibet, and Nepal.
The first initiative under the umbrella of the O’Neill Endowment was
launched this summer as 16 Trinity students and three faculty
members took part in a four week credit-bearing summer program that
culminated in a journey to Tibet. Lestz and Laura Harrington,
visiting assistant professor of religion, introduced courses on
Buddhism and China’s interaction with Tibet while Anne Parmenter,
head field hockey coach, served as the group’s co-leader in the
field. The participants came to understand the “cityscape” of Lhasa
and made visits to famous monastic communities such as Sera, Samye,
and Reting. In summers to come, similar programs will take groups of
students to other parts of Asia so that Asian studies majors and
students working in other fields can strengthen their understanding
of Asian peoples and cultures.
Says Lestz, “The O’Neill Endowment will allow us to nurture an
already innovative program and propel it many steps forward by
creating unique opportunities for study and research within the
Asian world. It will also provide funding to support students who
otherwise might not be able to enhance their education with
first-hand experience. The endowment appreciably strengthens Asian
studies at Trinity College.”
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