Faculty News Fall 2008
Lawford Anderson, professor of earth sciences, and Al Fischer, professor emeritus of earth sciences, were presented Distinguished Alumnus Awards by the University of Wisconsin-Madison Department of Geology & Geophysics at its Spring Awards Banquet.
Michel Baudry of biological sciences and biomedical engineering spoke at the July meeting of the Blue Brain Project in Geneva. A collaboration between IBM and Switzerland’s Ecoles Polytechniques Fédérale de Lausanne, the project aims “to create a biologically accurate, functional model of the brain using IBM’s Blue Gene supercomputer.”
Thorsten Becker of earth sciences has been named a visiting fellow in Princeton University’s Department of Geosciences for spring 2008.
Leo Braudy, University Professor and holder of the Leo S. Bing Chair in English and American Literature, and Steve Ross, professor and chair of history, were featured in the five-hour film “You Must Remember This: The Warner Bros. Story” as well as the one-hour “The Brothers Warner.” Both premiered on PBS in September. A new edition of Braudy’s Native Informant: Essays on Film, Fiction and Popular Culture (Figueroa Press, 2008) was published recently.
Mai’a K. Davis Cross of international relations has been selected as a Fulbright scholar grantee to the European Union Affairs Research Program.
Shelley Berman, lecturer emeritus in the Master of Professional Writing Program, was nominated for an Emmy in the “outstanding guest actor in a comedy series” category for his work on HBO’s “Curb Your Enthusiasm.”
Douglas Capone, holder of the William and Julie Wrigley Chair in Environmental Studies and professor of biological sciences, was elected to the California Academy of Sciences.
Antonio Damasio, holder of the David Dornsife Chair in Neuroscience and professor of psychology and neurology, was a featured speaker at the World Science Festival, which took place in New York City in June.
Michael Dear of geography was the keynote speaker at the 2008 Border Governors Conference, held in August and hosted by California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Susan Forsburg of biological sciences was appointed to the American Cancer Society’s Council for Extramural Grants.
Susan Friedlander of mathematics was invited to serve on the National Academies’ Board on Mathematical Sciences and Their Applications.
Ruth Wilson Gilmore of American studies and ethnicity and of geography has been awarded the Lora Romero First Book Publication Prize for the best first book in American studies that highlights the intersections of race with gender, class, sexuality and/or nation. Her book titled Golden Gulag: Prisons, Surplus, Crisis, and Opposition in Globalizing California (University of California Press) was published in 2007.
Robert Guralnick of mathematics was appointed G.C. Steward Visiting Fellow at the University of Cambridge’s Gonville and Caius College.
History professor Deborah Harkness’ “Good Wine Under $20” blog has been voted among the best top five wine blogs in the nation by Wine & Spirits (www.foodandwine.com/articles/niche-wine-blogs) Her blog: goodwineunder20.blogspot.com/
Pierrette Hondagneu-Sotelo of sociology was elected to the American Sociological Association’s executive council.
Patrick James of international relations will be presented with the Ethnicity, Nationalism and Migration section of the International Studies Association’s 2010 Distinguished Scholar Award at the upcoming annual ISA convention.
Thomas Jordan, University Professor, holder of the William M. Keck Foundation Chair in Geological Sciences and professor of earth sciences, was appointed to the executive committee of leadership council governing the National Academy of Sciences and to the National Research Council’s governing board.
Malcolm Klein, professor emeritus of sociology, is the recipient of the 2008 August Vollmer Award of the American Society of Criminology. The award “recognizes a criminologist whose research has contributed to the treatment or prevention of delinquent behavior.”
Chi Mak of chemistry was awarded the Provost’s Prize for Teaching With Technology at the Teaching With Technology Conference, held May 6 at Davidson Executive Conference Center.
Richard Meyer of art history and fine arts has received a Creative Capital/Andy Warhol Foundation Arts Writers’ Grant.
Toby Mintz of psychology and linguistics was appointed to the editorial board of Cognition.
Geraldine Peters of physics and astronomy served on the NASA 2008 Senior Review Committee evaluating the portfolio of the Astrophysics Division in Washington, D.C.
Dan Schnur, director of the Jesse M. Unruh Institute of Politics and assistant professor of the practice in political science, has been quoted in more than 100 articles or broadcast segments including ABC News, the Chicago Tribune and The New York Times since July 1.
John Strauss of economics has been renewed as an editor of Economic Development and Cultural Change.
Bosco Tjan of psychology has been appointed to serve on the Humanities, Social Sciences and Business Studies Panel of the Research Grants Council (RGC) of Hong Kong, China.
Wiebke Ziebis of biological sciences received a 2008-09 individual award from USC’s James H. Zumberge Research and Innovation Fund for her project “Animal-Sediment-Microbe Interactions at Pacific Methane Seeps.”
USC Advancing Scholarship in the Humanities and Social Sciences Grants
More than two dozen faculty with appointments in USC College received USC Advancing Scholarship in the Humanities and Social Sciences grants. Winners were: David Albertson of religion; Caroline Betts of economics; Tim Biblarz of sociology; John Bowlt of Slavic languages and literatures; Carolyn Cartier of geography; Andrew Curtis of geography; Roberto Diaz of Spanish and Portuguese and of comparative literature; Stephen Finlay of philosophy; Macarena Gomez-Barris of sociology and of American studies and ethnicity; Peggy Kamuf, Marion Frances Chevalier Professor of French and professor of comparative literature and English; Kara Keeling of critical studies in the USC School of Cinematic Arts and of American studies and ethnicity in the College; Sonya Lee of art history and of East Asian languages and cultures; Frank Lewis of philosophy; Paul Lichterman of sociology and religion; Nancy Lutkehaus of anthropology, gender studies and political science; Susan McCabe of English; Natania Meeker of French and Italian; Lori Meeks of religion and of East Asian languages and cultures; Richard Meyer of art history and fine arts; Beth Meyerowitz of psychology; Tania Modleski, Florence R. Scott Professor of English; Viet Nguyen of English and of American studies and ethnicity; Laura Pulido of American studies and ethnicity and of geography; Jefferey Sellers of political science; Xiaobing Tang of East Asian languages and cultures and of comparative literature; Karen Tongson of English and gender studies; Diane Winston, Knight Chair in Media and Religion in the USC Annenberg School for Communication and associate professor of religion in the College; and Maria Luisa Zubizarreta of linguistics.
USC-Mellon Mentoring Awards
Supported by a grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and administered by the USC Center for Excellence in Teaching, the USC-Mellon Mentoring Awards honor individual faculty for helping build a supportive academic environment at USC through faculty-to-student and faculty-to-faculty mentoring. Twelve USC College faculty members received awards at a ceremony April 22.
Charlotte Furth of history received an award for faculty-to-faculty mentoring. Oscar Aparicio of biological sciences, Nancy Lutkehaus of anthropology, gender studies and political science, Lorraine Turcotte of kinesiology and biological sciences, and Rachel Walker of linguistics won USC-Mellon Mentoring Awards for mentoring graduate students. Steven Finkel of biological sciences, Albert Herrera of biological sciences, Lanita Jacobs-Huey of anthropology and of American studies and ethnicity, Gayla Margolin of psychology, Amy Parish of gender studies and anthropology, Edward Rhodes of physics and astronomy, and Terry Seip of history won USC-Mellon Mentoring Awards for mentoring undergraduates.
The GIS Research Laboratory in the geography department received the Special Achievement in GIS Award for Leadership with Geospatial Technology from ESRI, the makers of geographic information system software.