Timothy Light (born 1938; zh, t=黎天睦, p=Lí Tíanmù) is an American

sinologist Sinology, also referred to as China studies, is a subfield of area studies or East Asian studies involved in social sciences and humanities research on China. It is an academic discipline that focuses on the study of the Chinese civilizatio ...

. He was the fourteenth president of

Middlebury College Middlebury College is a Private university, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Middlebury, Vermont, United States. Founded in 1800 by Congregationalism in the United States, Congregationalists, Middlebury w ...

, 1990–1991. A native of

Kalamazoo, Michigan Kalamazoo ( ) is a city in Kalamazoo County, Michigan, United States, and its county seat. At the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, Kalamazoo had a population of 73,598. It is the principal city of the Kalamazoo–Portage metropolitan are ...

, Light is a scholar in East Asian languages and literature. He served as provost of

Kalamazoo College Kalamazoo College is a private university, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Founded in 1833 by American Baptist Churches USA, Baptist ministers as the Michigan and Huron Institute, K ...

prior to his time at Middlebury, and later became a professor of religion and provost at

Western Michigan University Western Michigan University (Western Michigan, Western or WMU) is a Public university, public research university in Kalamazoo, Michigan, United States. It was initially established as Western State Normal School in 1903 by Governor Aaron T. B ...

Professional career

Light's academic career began at the

Chinese University of Hong Kong The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) is a public university, public research university in Sha Tin, New Territories, Hong Kong. Established in 1963 as a federation of three university college, collegesChung Chi College, New Asia Coll ...

, where he held several teaching and administrative positions from 1960 to 1971. He was a faculty member and director of the East Asia Study Center at the

University of Arizona The University of Arizona (Arizona, U of A, UArizona, or UA) is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Tucson, Arizona, United States. Founded in 1885 by the 13th Arizona Territorial Legislature, it ...

between 1974 and 1980. Light was a professor and chairperson of the Department of East Asian Languages and Literature at

Ohio State University The Ohio State University (Ohio State or OSU) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Columbus, Ohio, United States. A member of the University System of Ohio, it was founded in 1870. It is one ...

from 1980 to 1986, when he was named provost and professor of linguistics and Asian studies at

. He went on to serve as acting president at Kalamazoo College in 1989–90, and then served for a year as president of

before coming to

to serve as provost. He stepped down from that post in 2000 to pursue his academic work. Light is currently a Professor Emeritus of Chinese Religion at

Political involvement

Light has contributed funds to Democratic candidates and causes including $75,000Jones Advocating for Michigan PAC
/ref> to Michigan State Representative Robert Jones' PAC.

References

1938 births Living people Kalamazoo College faculty Presidents of Middlebury College Western Michigan University faculty American sinologists {{US-academic-administrator-1930s-stub

Professional career

Political involvement

See also

References