Dear Student,
I am writing to share the very sad news that Professor Margaret “Peggy” Hutaff, part-time faculty member in the Department of Religion, passed away recently.
Professor Hutaff joined the faculty at Tufts in 1998, and taught courses such as Introduction to Hebrew Bible, Feminist Theologies, Contemporary Catholicism, Introduction to the New Testament, Intellectual History of Christianity, and most recently Introduction to Christianity. In addition to the Religion department, she was involved with both the Judaic Studies Program and the Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Program. She served as a dedicated and beloved academic mentor and senior thesis advisor on dozens of student projects. She frequently served as a moderator for “Beyond the Classroom,” Tufts Student Forum for Research on Women, Gender, and Sexuality.
Professor Hutaff was always available for her students outside of class, often meeting with them at the Brown and Brew Cafe for long talks about course material, or about their lives and challenges. Her Feminist Theologies course was life-changing for many who took it. She never taught a class the same way twice, changing her syllabi in real time, in dialogue with her students to follow their interests.
Originally from North Carolina, Peggy received her BA from Wellesley College. She then received a Master’s in Divinity and an MA in Theology from Harvard Divinity School and was ABD (all but dissertation) towards her Doctor of Theology at Harvard. Before coming to Tufts, She was a Senior Lecturer at Emmanuel College for twenty years, teaching courses in the Graduate Programs in Ministry. Her research and publications focused on feminist interpretations of the New Testament and Hebrew Bible, as well as feminist Catholicism.
Professor Hutaff is survived by family and loved ones, including her partner of 50 years, Ron Cameron, Professor of Religion at Wesleyan University.
During difficult moments such as these, we encourage you to connect and spend time with your friends, your classmates, and your loved ones, whether at or outside of Tufts. Here’s how to get started:
