History/Political Science Faculty
Dr. Andrew McNeill Canady
Professor of History
Chair, Department of History, Political Science and Religion
Office: Davenport Hall 105B
Phone: 434-791-7175
Email: [email protected]
I’ve never had a class of his,” says Kevin, an Averett senior, “but I know who he is — he’s the one rockin’ a bow tie.
Of course Dr. Andrew Canady doesn’t always wear a bow tie, but when he does, it’s certainly not a clip-on. “Oh, no,” he says with a laugh, “of course they’re ones I have to tie myself. Funny, isn’t it, how a little thing like a tie can make such an impression.”
One could say that it makes sense for his style (a classic tie) to be influenced by the past; after all, he is a scholar of the past. “My interest in history began when I was in elementary school,” he admits. “I simply enjoyed learning about the past.”
Now he passes along that understanding, both at Averett and in the community around Danville.
“I love the diversity here,” he says. “Danville is about 50 percent Black, and Averett is an open-minded university in a conservative part of the country. I like that. I also like the diversity of Averett’s enrollment. Our racial diversity is unusual in such a small, private school … and we have many international students, too. They really bring a richness of cultural differences.”
Canady is an active presenter among the area’s communities, both on- and off-campus, and he’s a travelin’ man, as well. He takes Averett’s Honors Program students on educational trips here and abroad.
For instance, they just returned from Washington D.C., and they leave soon for London. (He should know his way around London; he lived and studied there for a semester when he was an undergraduate.)
The Honors conference they attend annually will be in Richmond, Virginia, this year. For their travel next year? “Haven’t decided yet. One trip probably will be to Boston, Charleston or Savannah.”
Many of the Honors Program activities are planned over meals. Canady meets with those students over lunch, usually. “I enjoy getting to know all the students — Honors and others — and it’s one reason I came to Averett. Although I still do some research, the emphasis here is on teaching, not on publishing.”
He adds, “I went to small, private schools myself, and I want to teach in a place that allows the students and professors to get to know each other. It can make a big difference, especially to first-generation [first in the family to attend college] students.”
Credentials:
Doctor of Philosophy, History, Rice University
Master of Arts, History, Rice University
Bachelor of Arts, Wake Forest University, double major in History and Religion
Dr. Rachel Mittelman
Assistant Professor of History
Email: [email protected]
Dr. Brian Webb
Assistant Professor of Political Science
Email: [email protected]
