February 16, 2001

Chairman of English at Johns Hopkins to Move to U. of Illinois at Chicago; U. of Texas at Austin Poised to Hire Senior Historian From Cambridge

By COURTNEY LEATHERMAN and SCOTT SMALLWOOD

Over and out: When Walter Benn Michaels finishes his term as chairman of the English department at the Johns Hopkins University this spring, he won't just be stepping down, he'll be taking off. Mr. Michaels, the latest in a flock of English professors to exit Hopkins, is moving to the University of Illinois at Chicago.

Mr. Michaels, an expert on 20th-century American literature and critical theory, will start at Illinois in September. In addition to teaching, he also plans to look into