The Passing of Beloved Professor Nancy Yanoshak
Nancy Yanoshak, dearly loved Simon’s Rock colleague, teacher, and friend, passed away on February 25. She died peacefully at home with her spouse, Sandie Smith, beside her.
Provost Ian Bickford said, “Nance helped many of us to make meaning and find significance
in a world where both are often elusive. She taught many of us how to read, something
we thought we already knew how to do. She taught many of us how to teach, something
we were sure we already knew how to do. She assured us of our value and reassured us of our ability.
Her influence and legacy at Simon's Rock are profound and will last, and we will greatly
miss her even as she remains with us in these many ways.”
Nancy held a PhD from Georgetown University, a MA from The Pennsylvania State University and a B.A. (with high distinction) from The Pennsylvania State University. At Simon’s Rock, she specialized in Russian History, Women’s History, European History, Social Science, and Contemporary Critical Theory.
She completed archival work in the Soviet Union as an International Research and Exchange Board Scholar, and was a research associate at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, serving as assistant to Ambassador George Kennan. Dr. Yanoshak was also Secretary-Treasurer for the New England Slavic Association, and participated in “The Ends of Civilization: A Taking Stock on the Eve of the Millennium,” a discussion program sponsored by the Massachusetts Foundation of the Humanities.
Nance from yearbook 1983
At Simon's Rock, she served as Social Studies Division head for nearly 10 years, and as Emily Fisher Faculty Fellow from 2007-2009. Dr. Yanoshak also co-directed the Early College Teaching Seminars, begun in 2005, to introduce Simon’s Rock pedagogical techniques to a national audience of educators. She was the editor of Educating Outside the Lines: Bard College at Simon’s Rock on a ‘New Pedagogy’ for the Twenty-first Century, published in 2011. She directed the inaugural Senior Workshop, which continues to be an important introduction to the Senior Thesis project.
Her publications on pre-Petrine Russian history and on Soviet Culture appeared in Slavic Review, The Journal of Popular Culture, and Studies in Bibliography. She also coauthored articles on feminist critique of contemporary cultural practices and interdisciplinary studies that appeared in Gender and Education and Afterimage. Nancy was the recipient of the Richard C. Drumm Sr. Award in 2009 and the John A. Glover Award for Excellence in Teaching in 2000, as well as Bard College at Simon’s Rock Faculty Development Grants from 1983-2011.
Funeral services are planned for Saturday, March 4, at 10am at the First Congregational Church on Main Street in Great Barrington.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Nancy Yanoshak Scholarship Fund at Simon’s Rock, a special fund to support Gender Studies students who exemplify a love of learning.
Condolences may be sent to:
Sandie Smith
4 Lake View Road
Great Barrington, MA 01230
- Read a recent interview with Nancy by Joan DelPlato from the Spring 2016 issue of Simon’s Rock Magazine
- Read Nancy’s full obituary