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2004 News Archives Teaching & Learning Gerontology Dean Edward L. Schneider steps down after nearly two decades at the helm of the nation's first such school. He's not retiring, he stresses, just launching a new career and remaining ‘ageless.’ By Andrea Gutierrez and Gia Scafidi
After more than 17 years of leadership, Edward L. Schneider will
step down as dean of USC’s Leonard Davis School of Gerontology
on June 30. At a dinner held in Schneider’s honor on May 12, President Steven B. Sample acknowledged the dean’s nearly two decades of service. “It is a great honor to recognize Edward Schneider for everything he’s done,” Sample said. “He has molded the school into the nation’s foremost gerontology program.” Founded in 1975, the Leonard Davis School is the nation’s first professional school of gerontology. Schneider, who joined USC as dean in December 1986, has overseen the school through years of growth. During his tenure: • Faculty research grants have gone from approximately $2 million in 1986 to more than $10 million this year. • The school’s endowment has climbed from $6 million in 1986 to $60 million today. The amount, if calculated per tenure-track faculty member, is the highest at USC and is comparable to Ivy League universities. • Booked gifts have risen from an average of $220,000 to $4 million per year. • Nine new endowed chairs and professorships have been added. • The first gerontology doctoral degree in the world was established. • The first online master’s degree in gerontology was established. James A. Parkel, former president of the AARP — who, with his wife, presented a painting to Schneider at the recognition dinner — said the dean has elevated the world of gerontology and its importance. “We’ve had a tremendous success, and I am extremely proud to be handing off [to a new dean] a school with such a stellar international reputation,” Schneider said. In a surprise announcement at the dinner, USC’s Mickie Faris, associate dean of development in the Leonard Davis School, announced the new Edward L. Schneider/Michael and Susan Lombardi Professorship in Gerontology. Michael Lombardi is a member of the Andrus Gerontology Center’s board of councilors, and he and his wife, Susan, are longtime friends of Schneider. The Lombardis have pledged to match every dollar raised, up to $300,000, for the named professorship. Before coming to USC in 1986, Schneider was deputy director of the National Institute on Aging and chief of the Gerontology Research Center’s Laboratory of Molecular Genetics at the National Institutes of Health. “I worked for 17 years at the National Institutes of Health and 17 years as dean,” Schneider said. “Now I am looking forward to launching a new career in teaching and have it last another 17 years. Seventeen seems to be a good number for me.” Schneider — whose research interests include molecular genetic aspects of cellular aging, DNA damage and repair with aging, and health-care costs of an aging population — said he feels extremely lucky to have served under USC President Steven B. Sample and been a part of USC’s transformation “from a good school to a great one.” “When I first joined USC, a friend said, ‘Ed, you know you’re going to have to go to a lot of football games,’ ” Schneider said. “As an adoptive Trojan, I really feel a part of the family - I’ve been extremely involved in events and have become a tremendous football fan. One of the greatest moments for me at USC was watching the Trojans become national champions.” Schneider received his undergraduate training at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in New York and graduated cum laude from the Boston University School of Medicine, from which he received the Distinguished Alumnus Award in May 1990. During his upcoming sabbatical, Schneider intends to examine new areas of research, including complimentary medicine, technology and aging and older parents. Over the course of his career, he has edited 12 professional books and 180 articles for scientific journals. His own book, “AgeLess: Take Control of Your Age and Stay Youthful for Life” (Rodale Press, 2003), which is geared toward the lay public, guides readers through the steps to age less. He is currently writing another book called “Natural Longevity.” “Edward Schneider exemplifies a true Renaissance Scholar,” said USC Trustee Barbara J. Rossier. “The school has benefited from his vision, and his leadership has been university-wide. This move will free up more time for him to spend with students who will carry on his vision.” In his closing remarks at the dinner, Schneider was appreciative of the well wishes he has received over the last few weeks, but emphasized that he is not retiring. “I’m moving at high speed toward a new career,” said Schneider. “The way to stay young is to change careers and start new ones.” He quoted the playwright Seneca, who said, “While we teach, we also learn.” “I now look forward to teaching and learning,” he added. |
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