Faculty Fellows Join USC Center for Excellence
Four new Faculty Fellows have joined the USC Center for Excellence in Teaching (CET), bringing to 29 the total number of USC faculty so honored.
CET’s Faculty Fellows are a core of faculty leaders who work together in an intellectual “think tank” for innovative, interdisciplinary approaches to teaching and learning. They contribute to the center’s programs and initiatives for three years in a formalized community of practice.
The selection of Fellows is a highly competitive process based on merit. They must be exceptional in both teaching and research and be highly proactive in engaging other faculty to institutionalize the support of excellent teaching and, thus, to transform the university.
After their three-year term, they join the ranks of Distinguished Faculty Fellows, become life-members of the center and may choose to participate in any or all aspects of the center’s endeavors.
This year’s new Faculty Fellows, appointed by Provost Lloyd Armstrong, Jr., are: Lawford Anderson (earth sciences, USC College of Letters, Arts and Sciences), Doe Mayer (School of Cinema-Television and Annenberg School for Communication), and Michael Quick (biological sciences, USC College), as well as Distinguished Faculty Fellow Warren Bennis (USC Marshall School of Business).
Anderson’s selection was based on significant academic accomplishments both in research scholarship and in teaching.
Anderson served as president of the Faculty of USC and the university’s Academic Senate (during 1997-98), where he helped sponsor resolutions committing the faculty to greater availability to students and to guiding the university to better utilization of five-day classes.
From 1995 to 1996, he served as president of the Faculty Council of the College, where he had a significant role in revising the university’s General Education curriculum.
Anderson is strongly interested in contributing to the growth and development of CET’s innovative and interdisciplinary Future Professoriate Program whose main objectives include the development of outstanding future academics and their understanding of the fundamental principles of learning in the context of interdisciplinary teaching and research.
“[CET’s] continued efforts to prepare our students as future professors and teachers is central to the mission of the university,” Anderson said.
Bennis joins the ranks of CET’s 18 Distinguished Faculty Fellows.
Bennis’ major interests (leadership, change, great groups and powerful partnerships) will provide impetus to CET’s overarching goal to encourage, promote and exemplify distinguished and innovative teaching in all areas of the university’s educational endeavor.
Mayer’s interdisciplinary experience in filmmaking and the practical application of communicative campaign strategies and designs (for social issues and health-defined organizations) will provide new dimensions to CET’s programs and initiatives.
In 2004 she was honored as one of USC’s Remarkable Women Faculty Members and, in 2001, the National Organization for Women gave her its award for advancement of women's media education in California.
As a CET Fellow, Mayer plans to continue exploring the links between creativity and social responsibility that have been a substantive part of her teaching career.
Mayer intends to teach interactive methodologies and innovative techniques that will allow faculty in various disciplines to both nurture the inherent creativity of their students and encourage a greater awareness of the links between creative work and individual values.
Quick was selected as a Fellow because of his commitment to academic excellence at the undergraduate and graduate levels both at USC and nationally.
He provides opportunities for more than a dozen undergraduates to participate in research projects in his lab. He recently created and runs a seminar in scientific integrity for incoming graduate students. He also serves on a national committee that is establishing guidelines for medical school neuroscience curricula.
Quick has been recognized by the Mortar Board Society and is the recipient of a “Teaching Has No Boundaries” award.
His efforts as a Fellow will include the use of technological approaches to promote “students as teachers” both inside and outside the traditional classroom setting.
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The Wall Street Journal highlighted the $200 million naming gift from USC Trustee and alumnus David Dornsife and wife Dana Dornsife to the USC Dornsife College, and the $110 million gift from USC Trustee and USC Viterbi School alumnus John Mork and wife Julie to create the USC Mork Family Scholars Program.
KPCC-FM reported that this fall USC will offer Persian language courses for the first time. A $250,000 grant from the Farhang Foundation helped to establish the program. Bruce Zuckerman of the USC Dornsife College said he has many students interested in the Persian language, culture and region. “The Iranian region is one that has great impact on our lives today and has had great impact going back into ancient times,” he said. The story noted that USC and the Farhang Foundation hope to raise more money to create an Iranian studies minor. Payvand also featured the new courses.
American Songwriter ran a Q&A with Christopher Sampson of the USC Thornton School about the school’s Popular Music program, which Sampson founded. He noted that the program has been available as a major in Songwriting since 2009, and has incorporated a diverse range of musical genres. “We have now established a consistent track record of students having professional success to know that the program gets results,” Sampson said. He also highlighted the achievements of Songwriting faculty members Lamont Dozier, Andrea Stolpe and David Poe of the Thornton School.
The Economist featured research by Valter Longo of the USC Davis School finding that short periods of fasting could help cancer patients better tolerate chemotherapy, and may even make treatment more effective. The Globe and Mail (Canada) reported that cancerous tumors are essentially energy hogs. “They need to burn lots of energy just to stay alive,” Longo said. The study was also covered by Irish Independent (Ireland), Magyar Tavirati Iroda (Hungary), Anadolu Ajansi (Turkey), Son Haber (Netherlands), Vietnam+ (Vietnam), Turkish Radio and Television (Turkey) and Romania Libera (Romania).
L.A. Weekly featured research by USC’s Institute for Creative Technologies, which has developed video games based around physical movement for people recovering from strokes or other injuries. The games develop strength in specific body parts. Traditional video games weren’t right for these patients, said the institute’s Belinda Lange. “Often, the fun parts of the game would only be unlocked after a series of other levels, which our patients often couldn’t achieve,” she said. The games are now being tested with physical therapists in three major clinics.
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