Princeton University Professors John Gager and Paul Lansky were honored last month with the university’s Behrman Award for distinguished achievement in the humanities.
Bestowed annually, the Behrman Award was established in 1975 by a gift from the late Howard Behrman, a physician and book collector. The two professors were honored at a May 7 dinner, the university said.
Professor Gager is the William H. Danforth Professor of Religion at Princeton. Professor Lansky is the William Shubael Conant Professor of Music.
Professor Gager, a faculty member since 1968, teaches and conducts research on religions of the Roman Empire, especially early Christianity and its relations to ancient Judaism. He has written on the theme of religion and magic. His books include "Moses in Greco-Roman Paganism," "Kingdom and Community: The Social World of Early Christianity," and "The Origins of Anti-Semitism: Attitudes Toward Judaism in Pagan and Christian Antiquity."
He served as master of Forbes College from 1992 to 2000. In 1998, he received the President’s Award for Distinguished Teaching. A graduate of Yale University, he earned his doctorate from Harvard.
Professor Lansky earned a doctorate in composition from Princeton and has been a faculty member at the university since 1969. He has composed some 75 pieces primarily for the medium of computer-generated sound. He also has done work in software development and music theory and analysis.
Professor Lansky has published nine solo compact discs, and his works have appeared in numerous collections and been performed widely. His most recent CD is "Alphabet Book." Several of his works have been choreographed and performed by noted dancers, including the Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company and the Eliot Feld Ballet.
A graduate of Queens College, Professor Lansky has received numerous commissions for his works. In 2000, he was presented with the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Society for Electro-Acoustic Music in the United States.
