The McEwen Chair is awarded to a senior member of the faculty who has demonstrated distinguished service to the College. The McEwen Chair comes with a $250 book fund, a celebratory dinner at the President's House, and an invitation to present a public lecture on a topic of one's choice.
Kanipe's area of research is modern French history and governmental social policy toward women and family. Her current project is serving as the principal organizer of a conference for middle school, high school and college teachers to discuss the National History Standards, funded by the Organization of American Historians and the Rockefeller Foundation.
Kanipe earned a bachelor's degree from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, and a master's and Ph.D in history from the University of Wisconsin Madison.