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Senate Awards & Winners

Other articles in the May 2018 newsletter:

Service is one of the primary pillars of academic life. Those who provide service to their department, school, the university, their profession and/or the community should all be commended. Most of these volunteer heroes remain unrecognized, but their efforts matter and are appreciated. It is the special privilege of the Academic Senate, through its Committee on Senate Awards, to recognize those who provide service to faculty governance. There are two awards: The Distinguished Faculty Service Award and the Walter Wolf Award for Defense of Academic Freedom and Faculty Rights.

Distinguished Faculty Service Award: The purpose of the Distinguished Faculty Service Award is to honor faculty service to the University that is beyond normal research, administrative, clinical, and teaching responsibilities. The nominee must have contributed through service to the Senate or other university initiatives in relation to faculty governance in some exceptional manner. These contributions could include leadership on a Senate Committee, Joint-Appointed University Committee, or on a school Faculty Council.

Winners

Paula Cannon, Distinguished Professor of Molecular Microbiology & Immunology in the Keck School of Medicine and Immediate Past President of the Academic Senate.

Selected for her service to the faculty throughout her tenure at USC within CHLA, within Keck, as well as within the university and the Academic Senate, specifically as President of the Academic Senate. She has served on committees since 2003 tackling issues like bio-safety, bridging funds for faculty, faculty retention, Diversity, and LGBTA Issue. As President of the Academic Senate she “got results, with three prime examples being the impact of the resolutions concerning a Smoke-Free USC, Creating a Fall-Semester Break, and the USC Sustainability Strategy 2030.:

Steve Bucher, Associate Professor of Technical Communication Practice of the Engineering Writing Program, Viterbi School

Selected for his dedication to the faculty and tireless behind the scenes service, with particular note for his work as co-chair of the Faculty Rights and Responsibility Committee from 2012- present. He has served the faculty on committees since 2006 including service on the Committee on

Development & Implementation of University Policies and the Committee on Academic Programs and Teaching.

Walter Wolf Award: The Walter Wolf Award is to be bestowed on a USC faculty member for defense and advocacy of academic freedom or for other manifestations of social conscience, through distinguished faculty service, teaching, scholarship, or activity as a public intellectual.

Winner

Ronald Garet, PhD, JD; Carolyn Craig Franklin Chair in Law and Religion. Ronald Garet has been a guiding light for the faculty of the University of Southern California since he became a faculty member in 1981. In his Presidency of the Academic Senate in 2004-05 he led efforts to promote ethics and integrity throughout all groups within the University. He has served on a multitude of committees within USC including: Strategic Planning, Religious Life; Academic Integrity, University Committee on Academic Review; Arts and Humanities Initiative Committee; Committee on Faculty Rights and Responsibilities; Mentor Forum, and Work and Family Life Committee

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Thank you,

Julie Nyquist
Chair of Committee on Senate Awards
Professor of Clinical Medical Education, Keck School of Medicine