30 Years in the Making
By Robert Bochnak, Communications Specialist,
Graduate and Professional Studies, Tufts University

A photographer descends upon Robin Kanarek ’68 and Robert Hollister ’66 during a recent awards ceremony at Tufts University. Surrounding the pair are students, faculty, and administrators who speak casually and congratulate the award winners as they pass by. The event is a festive one, made more so by the fact that the semester has come to a close and several of the guests are looking forward to summer vacations with family and friends. Kanarek and Hollister stand in the middle of it all, smiling and casually sipping their drinks as the photographer snaps away, coaching them to look natural. Lost in the excitement of the event is the significance of the photo. After all, it’s a picture that was 30 years in the making.

Two Deans

As students during the late 60s, Robin Kanarek and Robert Hollister knew each other by name only. They had different sets of friends, studied different disciplines, and never shared even a casual ‘hello’ on the way to class. They were strangers who just happened to be matriculating at the same college. Upon graduating, Kanarek and Hollister went their separate ways to pursue careers in higher education. The path each took was different, but the destination was the same - Tufts University.

Along with graduating from Antioch and working at the same university, they have both served as dean of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences (GSAS) at Tufts. Hollister was dean from 1996-2001, stepping down to become dean of the University College of Citizenship and Public Service (UCCPS) that year. Kanarek, a professor of psychology, took over the position of dean of the GSAS in March of 2002. As administrator and faculty members at Tufts, Kanarek and Hollister remain committed to the ideals they learned at Antioch. And when they see each other on campus, they not only say hello but also stop to share their thoughts.

The Co-op Experience

As dean, Robin Kanarek’s days are a hectic mix of meetings, teaching, and research. It’s a demanding position but Kanarek, who is married with two school-aged children, wouldn’t have it any other way.

“I enjoy the breadth and diversity of my work,” Kanarek says. “It gives me the opportunity to bring about change in a variety of different environments.”

After she graduated from high school, Kanarek left for Antioch College. What drew her to the school was, among other things, the co-op program. Kanarek, who had traveled sparingly during her childhood, had a chance to work in places like Italy, gaining valuable work and social experiences along the way.

It was during one of these co-op’s that Kanarek came into contact with a unique little girl, one who would have a profound effect on her future. “One of my co-op jobs was at a home for emotionally disturbed children in California,” Kanarek says. “I worked with one little girl who was diagnosed with, what they called at the time, childhood schizophrenia but would now probably be considered autism.” Kanarek spent the summer working with the young girl. By the end of their time together, they had both made significant progress. “ At one point I asked her (the girl) if she wanted something from the refrigerator and she shook her head ‘yes’ and that was the most direct connection I had had with her all summer and, even years later, it’s still a significant moment for me. This experience really helped push me towards going to graduate school and exploring how biology and psychology influence behavior.”

A Lifelong Mission

It doesn’t take much to get Robert Hollister excited. Just mention the word “community” and he becomes animated. You see, Robert Hollister has a plan. He wants Tufts to produce scholars and active citizens. The vehicle he’s using to achieve this goal is the UCCPS at Tufts. Its mission is to ensure that students graduate from Tufts prepared to be committed public citizens and leaders who take an active role in building stronger communities and societies. “My vision is that a decisive majority of Tufts students, graduates and undergraduates, in all fields of study, embark on lifetimes of active citizenship and service to society,” says Hollister.

Growing up in Yellow Springs, Hollister’s heroes were agents of change and, often times, their beliefs landed them in jail. “I grew up in a community of visionary, committed organizers,” says Hollister. “I looked up to people like Art and Margaret Landes. I liked the way they lived their lives and how they dealt with others. They were willing to go to jail if they felt it advanced their cause. Ever since I was a boy, I wanted to be like these people.”

Hollister, whose father, Barrett, is a professor emeritus in Political Science at Antioch, credits the college with giving him both an education and the skills necessary to become an active citizen. “In many ways, what I’m doing now is all Antioch.” Hollister says. “The commitment to democratic participation in running an organization and the commitment to educating for lives of active citizenship are all part of my experience at Antioch.”

Helping Others

After she left Antioch, Robin Kanarek earned a Ph.D. in psychology from Rutgers in 1974. She came to Tufts in 1976 and has made her mark as a teacher and researcher. From aiding parents trying to discover what to feed their children to examining the biological basis of substance abuse, Kanarek’s research has the potential to aid countless individuals.

While Kanarek focuses on science to achieve her goals, Robert Hollister appeals to the heart to accomplish his. A graduate of Harvard and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), where he earned a M.A. and Ph.D., respectively, Hollister continues to impress upon others the importance of giving back to the community. Through the UCCPS, he is preparing the next generation of active citizens to carry on a mission that began in Yellow Springs but whose end is limitless.

Friends and Colleagues

The awards ceremony has concluded and Kanarek and Hollister survey the scene. Most of the revelers have left and the hall is a mass of scattered chairs and discarded paper. For all their differences, Kanarek and Hollister are bound by their time at Antioch. They started off as strangers, but ended up as friends and colleagues. It only took 30 years and a little bit of luck.

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