Family Matters

Items of interest across the University Park and Health Sciences campuses

Compiled by USC Chronicle staff

Newsmakers

Outstanding in Her Field
The USC School of Social Work has announced the appointment of Micki Gress to senior clinical fellow in field education. This newly created position is a first at USC and for any social work program in the United States.

Gress’ new role will be to lead development in field education, with a primary focus on mental health, probation and child welfare.

Gress has been a field educator for 25 years who has worked with children in residential treatment and severely and persistently mentally ill adults.

Her career at USC as assistant dean for field education has been characterized by community outreach and a commitment to reshaping the concepts and methods of field education.

She currently collaborates with the school’s associate dean for research in a pilot project using interns to introduce new evidence-based practices in one of Los Angeles’ foremost private agencies.

As a fellow, she will continue to lead and extend this experiment to other major settings and disseminate this experience to field educators throughout the country.

Kedes Steps Down

Laurence H. Kedes announced his resignation as director of the USC Institute for Genetic Medicine, effective June 30.

He will return full time to research and remain at the institute as the William M. Keck Professor of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology.

Keck School of Medicine of USC Dean Carmen Puliafito acknowledged Kedes’ role in building the school’s reputation.

“He is an innovative researcher, one that brought USC into the molecular era,” Puliafito said. “We’re pleased that we will continue to have an opportunity to work with him as an accomplished researcher.”

During his tenure, Kedes oversaw the recruitment of more than 20 faculty members, oversaw the design and development of the institute’s research facilities and led its participation in development of multi-investigator research programs, including heart disease, hypertension, gene therapy and craniofacial defects.

Etc.

Horsing Around

Artist LeRoy Neiman and USC trustee Wallis Annenberg were honored at the annual Town & Gown benefit luncheon at the Beverly Hilton Hotel.

Neiman and Annenberg received the Trojan group’s Lifetime Scholarship Award and Lifetime Achievement Award, respectively

When Annenberg accepted her award, she announced that the Annenberg Foundation would make a $1 million donation to Town & Gown Program, which annually awards scholarships to more than 300 undergraduate and graduate students.

Neiman plans to help immortalize Traveler with a painting of the beloved Trojan mascot.

For the Record

A story in the April 28 USC Chronicle referred to a new professional doctorate program in regulatory science offered by the USC School of Pharmacy. It will lead to a DRSc degree, not a Ph.D.


05/09/08