Professor
chosen as Kerry delegate
By
Carlos Munguia
On-line Forty-Niner
Rajen
Anand, professor of physiology in the department
of biological sciences, has been elected
a John Kerry delegate and will be attending
the 2004 Democratic National Convention
at the Fleet Center in Boston from July
26 through 29. Anand will be part of 189
district-level delegates Kerry designated
to attend the Democratic National Committee.
Anand
will be among delegates chosen for the Democratic
Party as a unique representative because
he will be the only member from the Cal
State University system. Other members at
the convention will be coming from well-know
schools such as Berkeley, Yale and Harvard.
“I
am really glad to be a democratic delegate
and was not expecting it at all. I was fortunate
to have connections from my past involvement
with the Democratic campaigns and received
the support of a woman running for delegate
and her people,” said Anand about
his experience this year in running for
delegate.
The
congressional districts in California started
out with 241 delegates and 40 alternates,
after the elections in the congressional
district where John Kerry received more
than 15 percent so was able to receive 189
delegates. Anand became a delegate from
the 46th congressional district.
Anand
has been involved since he began teaching
several science courses at Cal State Long
Beach in 1970 and continued his involvement
by founding and serving in the department
of anatomy and physiology and served as
chairman of the department of communicative
disorders “Who’s Who of Asian
Americans” recognizes Anand for his
unique combination of university teaching
experience, chairing two academic departments
as well as heading a federal agency. As
head of the department at the university,
Anand was responsible for recruitment, evaluation
and supervision of faculty and staff and
was a strong advocate and leader of the
academic unit faculty.
His
accomplishments in teaching and interest
for politics would lead to Anand serving
in the U.S. Department of Agriculture as
executive director of the Center for Nutrition
Policy and Promotion in Washington, D.C.
from 1995 to 2001. The mission of the center
is to improve the health of the Americans
developing and promoting dietary guidance
that links scientific research to the nutritional
needs of consumers. Under his leadership
several publications would be released such
as the 1995 and 2000 editions of Dietary
Guidelines for Americans and the Thrifty
Food Plan.
“Students
are very talented, have time available and
can explore in this entry-level position
in politics because of their youth. The
rewards are exposure to the democratic system
and eventually connections that become essential
during school but most of all after graduation,”
Anand said. “Politics are important,
they affect everyone in one way or another.”
Long
involved in public policy issues and community
affairs, he has served as an officer of
several organizations: Asian and Pacific
Americans in Higher Education; National
Federation of Indian American Associations;
Indo-American Political Association; Asian
American and Pacific Islander Caucus and
numerous others.
Anand
has been honored with several academic awards,
including the Outstanding Professor Award.
He also was twice recipient of the Meritorious
Performance & Professional Promise Award.
At UC Davis, he was bestowed with the Outstanding
Student Award in 1967 and 1968 and the Hetzendorf
Memorial Award in Physiology in 1969 for
academic achievements and humanitarian qualities.
He is listed in a number of bibliographic
volumes.
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