BIDDEFORD — The University of New England College of Arts and Sciences has named Susan McHugh, Ph.D., of Auburn, associate professor of English, the 2011-12 Ludcke Chair.

This prestigious award is given annually to a CAS faculty member who, according to interim dean Stine Brown, “exemplifies the meaning of teacher-scholar, with a substantial scholarly track record, a strong commitment to undergraduate teaching, service to the institution and a strong sense of collegiality.”

In 2004, Eleanor Ludcke, 1926 Westbrook College alumnae, bequeathed to Westbrook College an endowed professorship to be awarded annually to a tenured member of the faculty of the College of Arts and Sciences in recognition of their accomplishments. The Ludcke Chair recipient has a one-year tenure as chair holder, and is also awarded a stipend to use in support of his or her scholarship.

McHugh received her Ph.D. in English from Purdue University in 1999, and joined the UNE faculty in 2002. She teaches courses in writing, literary theory, and animal studies. McHugh’s course – Animals, Literature and Culture – was recognized earlier this year by the Humane Society of the United States with an Honorable Mention: Distinguished Established Course Award.

McHugh is a prolific and internationally recognized scholar whose expertise includes literary and interdisciplinary animal studies. She is the author of two books: “Dog” (2004), which has been translated into several languages, and “Animal Stories: Narrating Across Species Lines” (2010).