A Festschrift to Celebrate Vanessa Merton
What is this?
Who made this?
Can I contribute?
A Festschrift is a written celebration of an academic's work, often in the form of essays honoring their contributions. After half a century of teaching, scholarship, and activism, Vanessa Merton sadly transitioned from our world on July 15, 2024. This website serves as the digital version of the physical Festschrift, compiling reminiscences and tributes from over a hundred of Vanessa's colleagues, classmates, and confidants.
This project was lovingly assembled by Vanessa's family following the heartbreaking news of her pancreatic cancer diagnosis in late 2023. We are profoundly grateful for the many contributions, shared here in no particular order, and for the precious gift that Vanessa was able to hear these heartfelt messages and witness the profound impact she has made on so many lives. As many contributors pointed out, Vanessa always possessed boundless energy and a deep commitment to helping others. Hearing these stories was a source of renewed strength and upliftment for her and our spirits.
In addition to the text and video entries, many people sent in photos; while we are not able to attribute each of them, we’d like to especially thank Jim Metzger of Hastings-on-Hudson and Rachael Silva of the Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University for sharing years of beautiful shots of Vanessa with us.
This Festschrift is a living project, and we hope that reading these tributes inspires more people to share their favorite stories of Vanessa. Even short, goofy anecdotes can bring smiles to our faces. You can contribute new stories here.
Please order here if you would like a physical copy of the Festschrift. You can also click here to view a PDF of the book.
Lastly, if you would like to listen to some of Vanessa’s favorite tunes as you read these stories, please enjoy this playlist curated by her husband, Steven Godeski.
