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news
Maxson grants
faculty awards
By Jeanne Hoffa
On-line Forty-Niner
President Maxson
is in the enviable state of living a life that exceeds his
dreams, he told a packed house at the Carpenter Center at
the annual convocation Friday.
He preached to
the bleachers and whipped more than 1,000 professors and faculty
members into a frenzy with tales of alumni success stories,
an avalanche of applicants, an infiltration of high school
valedictorians and a litany of honors that have been won by
faculty members in the past year.
Between the brisk
morning air, the cathedral-like setting and the inevitable
anticipation that comes with the beginning of the new school
year, the atmosphere seemed to crackle with excitement as
professors greeted each other with hearty hand-shakes and
ear-to-ear grins at a catered breakfast complete with a live
jazz band to set the mood.
In his winsome
southern drawl, Maxson revealed that Cal State Long Beach
fund-raisers had brought in $1 million every 14 days to the
campus this year, money that goes to scholarships, departments,
special programs and endowments.
The university
will begin its long goodbye to Karl Anatol, provost and senior
vice president of academic affairs, as Anatol will retire
after 32 years at CSULB, Maxson announced.
Some of the provost's
distinguishing accomplishments include development of a campus-wide
vision for a student-focused campus, and a revamp of the general-education
program that will, among other things, shine through the accreditation
process, according to Keith Polakoff, associate vice president
of academic affairs.
Academic affairs
has geared up for D-Day - or rather A-Day - in February as
CSULB faces its academic accreditation examination, a process
that happens only once every 10 years. A team of experts from
Western Association of Schools and Colleges will scrutinize
programs and classes at CSULB ensure it will remain an accredited
university, according to Polakoff. Maxson said he is eager
for the opportunity to show off the excellence of the campus.
Maxson introduced
his 64 President's Scholars, California high school valedictorians,
who were vigorously recruited and then given full four-year
scholarships. Behind them stood their families, who had traveled
from across the state for the event.
Teacher education
expert Carole Cox, and kinesiology and physical education
specialist Barry Lavay were given outstanding professor awards
this year.
Barbara Crutchfield
George from the department of finance, real estate and law
was selected for the Nicholas Perkins Hardeman Academic Leadership
Award, which acknowledges contributions to the principle and
practice of shared governance at CSULB.
Carol Riley was
named this year's Outstanding Staff member for her work directing
the university's Credential Processing Center.
Three people were
given the Distinguished Faculty Teaching Award, Laura Henriquez,
Katherine James, and Lisa Maxfield.
Henriquez, who
is in her third year as tenure track, has been teaching for
17 years, is in the department of science education. James,
who has been at CSULB since 1993, received her Ph.D. from
the University of Minnesota, is from the department of recreation
and leisure studies. Maxfield, from the department of psychology,
is an expert of human memory.
Prolific writer
Patricia Kearney, who is a communications expert, won the
distinguished faculty scholarly and creative achievement award.
The award was also given to Keats expert and poet aficionado
Beth Lau of the English department.
Finally Paul Bott,
Bob Rodgers and Nancy Kimber have been given community service
awards.
Bott has directed
the campus' Center for Career Studies and Occupational Studies
program.
Rodgers is a multimedia
specialist who volunteers for the Long Beach Department of
Parks and Recreation and the Special Olympics. He also brings
groups of foster children on campus for Christmas, and plays
Santa Claus to the pediatric AIDS facilities.
Kimber is a gynecologist
and obstetrician who works extensively with disadvantaged
children.
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