USC Dornsife celebrates dedication and impact of faculty and staff
Thirteen faculty and staff members at the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences were recently recognized for their exceptional service.
“I can’t tell you how much I have been looking forward to this opportunity to … celebrate accomplishments of our colleagues that are truly focused on making positive change in the world — focused on creating the kind of knowledge and new ideas that the world needs more than ever and educating our students to be informed, thoughtful and compassionate citizens,” said USC Dornsife Dean Amber D. Miller, who hosted the event.
Eight faculty members received Albert S. Raubenheimer Awards, which recognize outstanding scholarship, teaching and service within the university.
Six staff members who demonstrated exceptional service to USC Dornsife received Outstanding Staff Achievement Awards.
Raubenheimer Outstanding Faculty Awards
John Hawthorne, Linda MacDonald Hilf Chair in Philosophy and Professor of Philosophy
With research exploring a broad range of fields, including metaphysics, metaethics and epistemology, and philosophy of language, religion, law, mind and action, Hawthorne is “widely regarded in the profession as one of a tiny group of top philosophers in the world,” according to his nomination. He has published eight books, with five more in progress, and more than 155 scholarly articles, and his Google citation numbers top 13,000 — the highest in USC Dornsife’s philosophy department.
His colleagues cite his commitment to teaching, contributions to graduate and undergraduate seminars, and leadership on graduate admissions committees as key factors in the department’s top ranking among PhD programs in the world.
Sonya Lee, Professor of Art History, East Asian Languages and Cultures and Religion
Lee is chair of the Department of East Asian Languages and Cultures and, at the time of nomination, served as director of the East Asian Studies Center. She has pioneered work in integrating the university’s East Asian studies efforts with the broader community, particularly with respect to sustainability studies.
A specialist in religious art and architecture of China and Central Asia, Lee has published widely on the material culture of Chinese Buddhism, and her research presented in Temples in the Cliffside: Buddhist Art of Sichuan (University of Washington Press, 2021) earned an Independent Publisher Book Award Gold Medal.
As an instructor, Lee has brought her expertise to both undergraduate and graduate students, including mentoring seven PhD students. And she has served as an ambassador to the broader community, presenting lectures to K-12 students and at museums, temples and cultural institutions.
Jay Rubenstein, Professor of History and Religion
Rubenstein joined USC Dornsife in 2019 to establish and direct the Center for the Premodern World. He also served as history department chair until 2023.
Rubenstein teaches numerous undergraduate courses on the Middle Ages and Medieval Europe, and he frequently offers opportunities for advanced undergraduate and graduate students to work independently with him to cultivate important skills including language, paleography and historiography.
A specialist in the cultural history of the 11th and 12th centuries and the Crusades, his scholarly contributions have earned prestigious accolades, including a MacArthur Fellowship.
In nominating Rubenstein, his colleagues wrote, “There is no one more imaginative in the framing of a research project, more resourceful in working with sources, more diligent in the pursuit of new insight, more effective at translating findings into a compelling and convincing presentation — he is a brilliant writer.”
Lorraine Turcotte, Professor of Biological Sciences
From co-chairing the Emergency Response Working Group during the pandemic to participating in research committees to serving as head of the human and evolutionary biology (HEB) section of USC Dornsife’s biological sciences department, Turcotte fosters a supportive culture, mentoring faculty and championing diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, according to her nominees. Her efforts have helped to shape the human biology major and secured funding for student-directed learning.
Turcotte studies skeletal muscle metabolic homeostasis as well as warfighter performance in collaboration with the U.S. Naval Health Research Center, and she has published more than 70 scholarly papers on the subjects.
Turcotte “is one of the most constructive and valued contributors to the broader biological sciences community,” wrote her nominators, who also reconized her as a selfless source of wisdom and inspiration dedicated to elevating the HEB section, the department, USC Dornsife and the university as a whole.
Raubenheimer Junior Faculty Awards
Alice Baumgartner, Assistant Professor of History
According to her nomination, Baumgartner is an exceptionally productive, original and insightful scholar whose work consistently challenges assumptions and cuts across fields. Her early career work has received attention and praise well beyond the norm for even the most successful assistant or associate professors in the humanities and the humanistic social sciences.
Since joining the Van Hunnick Department of History in 2019, Baumgartner has developed and taught eight diverse courses, receiving consistent praise in teaching evaluations for her thoughtful, organized and engaging pedagogy.
Baumgartner’s groundbreaking book, South to Freedom: Runaway Slaves to Mexico and the Road to Civil War, has garnered multiple prestigious awards, challenging historical assumptions and crossing disciplinary boundaries. Additionally, her service on department committees and involvement in revising the graduate curriculum highlight her dedication to enhancing the academic community at USC.
Bruce Herring, Assistant Professor of Biological Sciences
Herring studies the connections between nerve cells in the brain and how faulty regulation of these connections gives rise to psychiatric and neurodevelopmental disorders. His research led to the identification of TRIO-related neurodevelopmental disorder, which is characterized by moderate-to-severe developmental and intellectual disabilities. He has earned several prestigious grants in support of his work, including a NARSAD Young Investigator Award (his second), a Simons Foundation Autism Research Initiative Pilot Award and a McKnight Foundation Memory and Cognitive Disorders Award.
Herring has proven to be an adept and popular instructor, co-creating the “Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience” (BISC 407) course, for which enrollment is 10-fold higher than the alternate course option required for the neuroscience major. Citing this and other contributions from Herring, his nominator wrote, “He is a gift to our undergraduate and graduate programs alike.”
Jeffrey Weaver, Assistant Professor of Economics
Weaver’s dedication to student engagement is evident in high evaluations for courses he teaches such as “Introduction to Econometrics” (ECON 318), in which he integrates cutting-edge techniques like machine learning, and “Political Economy of Institutions” (ECON 634), in which he immerses students in literature that fosters critical analysis and research skills.
Additionally, his success in garnering research grants totaling $1.3 million — with an additional $1.1 million in review — showcase his insightful work on corruption in India, public-service delivery, and policy failures.
Since arriving at USC Dornsife in 2018, Weaver has served on multiple committees in the economics department including those for junior recruitment, PhD student job market placement and PhD admissions. During his participation, he helped design a new system for evaluating applicants that improved both efficiency and yield on offers among high-quality applicants.
Sherry Zaks, Assistant Professor of Political Science
With multiple published articles and a robust pipeline of work, Zaks demonstrates a commitment to scholarly excellence, according to her nomination. This includes her manuscript “Resilience Beyond Rebellion: How Today’s Rebels Become Tomorrow’s Parties,” which is now under consideration for publication at Cornell University Press. In addition, she secured a position as a Visiting Scholar at Stanford University’s Center for International Security and Cooperation, underscoring her academic prowess.
Zaks has also served as co-chair of a successful search committee, hiring three new junior faculty to the Department of Political Science and International Relations and paving the way for two other junior faculty members to help with a current search.
Wrote her nominator: “Zaks not only meets the qualifications for the Junior Raubenheimer Award in her teaching, scholarship, and service, but goes beyond them in terms of providing a model of fearlessness and leadership for her peers.”
Outstanding Staff Achievement Awards
Susan Chang, Director of Web, Application and Data Services, Dornsife Technology Services
Noting her generous spirit in their nomination letters, Chang’s colleagues recognized her unwavering reliability, proclivity for exceeding expectations and persistently positive attitude. Staff members in USC Dornsife’s Joint Educational Project proclaimed her “an indispensable asset to JEP’s accomplishments.”
Another colleague pointed to Chang’s role in managing the technical development and rollout of the new USC Dornsife website, and continued oversight of more than 300 department and program sites, proclaiming her a problem-solver who “embodies the commitment, grit and dedication of USC Dornsife.”
Ruth Dudas, Contracts and Grants Coordinator, USC Sea Grant Program
With more than 20 years of service, Dudas has become an exemplar of staff achievement, showcasing mastery in managing multimillion-dollar grants, according to her nomination. Dudas works closely with National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and National Sea Grant administrators to ensure funding submissions work smoothly within the university’s fiscal processes. She also taught herself the fiscal and regulatory requirements of California’s grants and contracts management, skills key to maintaining relationships with fiscal leads at state agencies that provide funding to USC Sea Grant.
Beyond her official role, Ruth’s guidance, support and experience proved pivotal to a successful change in USC Sea Grant leadership. “We can rely on Ruth to maintain our schedule, anticipate our needs, and to guide staff through myriad submission and reporting structures,” wrote her nominator.
Jeffer Giang, Data Analyst II, USC Equity Research Institute
Giang is responsible for much of the USC Dornsife Equity Research Institute’s sophisticated data work. Often taking place “behind-the-scenes,” Giang’s work has included navigating complex datasets in projects supporting faculty publications, collaborating with government agencies, and spearheading initiatives such as the California Immigrant Data Portal — all important to the institute’s growth.
Their nominator highlighted Giang’s care and attention to detail and a unique ability to “go deep in the weeds with datasets” with minimal guidance.
Juli Nguyen, Director of Business Intelligence and Strategy, Advancement
In the three years she has been at USC Dornsife, Nguyen’s strategic thinking, dedication and leadership have garnered widespread respect from her colleagues, particularly those on USC Dornsife’s advancement team, who praise her skills in data-informed decision-making and project management, and for fostering a positive work culture.
Her outstanding contributions also extend to high-profile projects such as the USC Dornsife website redesign, where her problem-solving abilities and dedication were lauded.
Stephen Koenig, senior associate dean for creative content, highlighted Nguyen’s skills in her nomination letter: “Given the mind-boggling number of moving parts that she was able to manage, I would not be surprised if a new Marvel character is developed around Juli.”
Martha Stroud, Associate Director and Senior Research Officer, Center for Advanced Genocide Research
Stroud is recognized for her exceptional contributions to USC Dornsife’s Center for Advanced Genocide Research, where her academic excellence, organizational prowess and ethical awareness have been instrumental in garnering success. Her leadership in staff training, organizational efficiency, and day-to-day operations showcases her steadfast commitment to excellence, and her impact extends globally through academic mentorship, international conferences and fellowship residencies.
Her nomination notes that she continued to manage the international program during the COVID-19 pandemic, commended her selfless dedication to her staff, students and faculty, and parised her role in overhauling the center’s webpage.
Christina Tasulis Williams, Administrative Assistant II, Department of Physics and Astronomy
Williams has been a pivotal figure in the physics and astronomy department, demonstrating unparalleled dedication and innovation, according to her nomination. Her adept handling of 2022 and 2023 graduate student recruiting events, overcoming logistical challenges and ensuring a remarkable success rate stands as a highlight of her ingenuity.
Furthermore, she played an instrumental role in establishing and running the Transitions and Research Across INterfaceS program, which brings community college students to USC to gain research skills. Her nominator noted that the $1 million program would not have been possible without her continued involvement.