MIDDLEBURY — A Middlebury College student died in an automobile accident in Rhode Island just after 9 a.m. on Saturday, June 29. Ian Cameron, 24, a senior sociology and psychology major, was thrown from his vehicle after his car hit a guardrail and flipped. He was not wearing a seatbelt.
A resident of East Greenwich, R.I., Cameron planned to complete his studies at Middlebury after the upcoming fall semester.
In an announcement to the campus community, Middlebury College President Ron Liebowitz said Cameron “made a lasting impression upon the faculty for his intellectual curiosity, his desire to connect with people, and his unbridled optimism.”
Jon Isham, professor of economics and faculty director of the Center for Social Entrepreneurship, called Cameron considerate and caring.
“Ian was always thoughtful and sensitive to the ideas and insights of others,” said Isham. “He was always asking ‘why?’ based on his personal experiences and his hopes for the world.”
Suzanne Gurland, associate professor of psychology, termed him “a natural connector,” the type of person who reaches out to people to talk and make contact.
Linus Owens, associate professor of sociology and Cameron’s adviser, recalled that their last conversation was focused on what lay ahead.
“All Ian and I could talk about was the future, and how excited he was to embrace it, to keep finding new ways to live his life in a meaningful way,” said Owens. “Ian had a knack for convincing even the most cynical person that there were reasons to be optimistic.”
Cameron was active in Ross Commons events, the Center for Social Entrepreneurship, and the Poor Form Poetry Slam. Among his friends at Middlebury, he was known for his sincerity and determination to follow through, Liebowitz said.
Cameron is survived by his mother, Lisa B. Cameron, and his sister, Anne Shreve Cameron. His father, Mark Cameron, died in 2007.
In his announcement to the campus, Liebowitz said that information about a memorial service would be shared as it becomes available.