2022: Keely Heuer (Art History)
Keely Heuer was selected as the 2022 faculty Mentor of the Year for her firm commitment to Art History students’ professional development.
For many years, she has supervised the Art History Association student group, which hosts an annual research symposium for undergraduate art history students to share their original research. Under her guidance, the event has grown exponentially, with this year’s conference hosting students from 80 institutions. Her chair, Dr. Kerry Dean Carso, notes that “the AHA students come away with unusually advanced skills in professional art historical work. In my experience, this kind of devoted mentoring to students is rare and should be commended.”
Keely has also taken many students to archeological sites and museums in Greece and Italy, to study ancient art pieces up close. And she has supervised several honors theses, sharing her considerable resources to help them access hard-to-find library pieces, meet museum conservators, or secure advanced opportunities.
Her students note that she mentors with a compassionate touch. Tess Ferguson (Art History, 2020) who completed her Honor’s thesis during the scary early days of the pandemic, shared how Keely checked in weekly for well-being updates and sent kind gestures of encouragement. She concluded, “I truly believe that Professor Heuer’s constant encouragement is what allowed me to finish my thesis and end my senior year on a high note.”
