Vicki Caron, associate professor of history at Cornell, has been named the Diann G. and Thomas A. Mann Professor of Modern Jewish Studies, effective Feb. 1, 1998.

Caron's books, Between France and Germany: The Jews of Alsace-Lorraine, 1871-1918 (Stanford University Press, 1988) and Uneasy Asylum: France and the Jewish Refugee Crisis, 1933-1942 (forthcoming), draw deeply on American and French archival sources and are noted for their interpretative power. Her research has focused on western and central Europe and explores the modern era in France, including government policy, public opinion and French Jewish responses to those policies and opinions.

The Diann G. and Thomas A. Mann Professorship of Modern Jewish Studies was established in 1993 to support the study and teaching of the relevance of Jewish culture, broadly defined, to the modern world. This might include disciplines such as history, literature, art, music, philosophy and women's studies, and topics such as the founding of the State of Israel, the Holocaust and modern Jewish women.

Caron's other publications and presentations have ranged broadly in Jewish history, and include numerous book reviews. She has held scholarships and fellowships from the Oxford Centre for Hebrew and Jewish Studies, the Institute for Advanced Study's School of Historical Studies, the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Memorial Foundation for Jewish Culture, the Fulbright Program, the Whiting Foundation, Columbia University's Center for Israel and Jewish Studies, and the National Council of Jewish Women. Caron's commitment to undergraduate education and her breadth of teaching experience in modern Jewish history were strong factors in her nomination to the Mann Professorship.

"I'm thrilled about the new chair in Modern Jewish Studies," Caron said, "and as I can see from the inquiries into my courses, there is tremendous student interest in Jewish studies here."

The professorship is named for Diann and Thomas Mann, longtime supporters of Cornell. Diann G. Mann is a member of the University Council. She co-chaired the Class of '66 30th Reunion Major Gifts Committee, was a member of the class's 25th Reunion Committee and serves on the Secondary Schools Committee. Thomas A. Mann is a former member of the University Council. He serves on the College of Arts and Sciences Advisory Council and has been active on the Secondary Schools Committee since 1969. He also is former co-chair of the Major Gifts Committee for the Class of '64 30th Reunion Campaign. In addition, he supports the Cornell High School Biology Teaching Project in the Cleveland area. The Manns also are supporters of the Johnson Art Museum, Cornell University Library and the Division of Biological Sciences. They have been recognized by the Cornell Board of Trustees as Foremost Benefactors of the university.