May 5, 2004

Five UCSD Faculty Members To Receive
Chancellor’s Associates Awards For Excellence

By Shannon Casey

Awards for excellence in teaching, research and community service will be presented to five University of California, San Diego faculty members by the UCSD Chancellor’s Associates at a May 11 award ceremony.

Each year the Chancellor’s Associates recognizes UCSD faculty members for their scholarship and contributions to the university and the community with a citation and $2,500 honorarium. Award candidates are nominated by their academic peers, with final selection by a committee comprised of Chancellor’s Associates members.

Recipients of this year’s Faculty Excellence Awards are Victor Ferreira, professor of psychology, for excellence in undergraduate teaching; Murray Goodman, professor of chemistry and biochemistry, for excellence in graduate teaching; Roger Tsien, professor of pharmacology, for excellence in research in science and engineering; Gary Cox, professor of political science, for excellence in research in arts, humanities and social sciences; and Hugh “Bud” Mehan, professor of sociology, for excellence in community service.

Ferreira will be recognized for his exemplary record as a professor of psychology, commitment to teaching and mentoring students, and effectiveness as a communicator and advocate for the department of psychology and UCSD as a whole. Praised for his unique teaching style, Ferreira is able to consistently captivate his undergraduate psychology students. “It’s a mind-blowing, one-of-a-kind experience to be on the receiving end of one of his lectures, and it’s why the students love him so much,” says John T. Wixted, psychology department chair. Beyond his role as professor, Ferreira has established himself as a leader in the study of language production, is vice-chair of the psychology department’s Undergraduate Affairs Committee, and oversees the Psychology Honors program.

Goodman will be honored for his achievements as a committed teacher and mentor to chemistry and biochemistry graduate students. During his 30 plus years at UCSD, Goodman has trained 84 Ph.D. students, and currently has nine more working under his direction. “His true forte is training graduate students to become independent researchers,” says Clifford Kubiak, chemistry and biochemistry department chair. “As one of the most prominent peptide chemists in the world…[he is] a source of inspiration to the many graduate and postgraduate scholars who have studied with him.”

Tsien will be recognized for his work toward providing in-depth and quantitative understanding of the mechanisms that underlie biological responses of cells, a pharmacological study which may ultimately provide the basis for the discovery of drugs useful in the treatment of diseases. “The tools that he has developed have become invaluable not only to empower basic cell biological and pharmacological research, but as platforms for high throughput screening in drug discovery,” says Joan Heller Brown, pharmacology department acting chair. “Dr. Tsien is one of those rare scientists whose discoveries spawn new endeavors in a wide range of scientific disciplines and whose research efforts yield state-of-the-art technologies that become the standard for researchers throughout the world.” In addition to his research endeavors, Tsien is also an active participant in medical and graduate student education and serves on numerous departmental committees.

Cox will be honored for his achievements as an internationally recognized scholar in the field of political science. “His research has shaped the way we view political parties, electoral systems, and legislative processes and the theoretical sophistication of his work has significantly influenced the way we do political science,” says David Lake, political science department chair. “His innovative, interdisciplinary, and agenda-setting research has established him as one of the very top scholars of his generation.” Cox has authored numerous books and articles surrounding the topics of American and comparative politics, has been awarded several major prizes and grants, and is a member of the prestigious American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

Mehan will be honored for his exemplary commitment and tireless advocacy for K-12 outreach in the San Diego community. As the founding director of CREATE (Center for Research on Equity, Assessment, and Teaching Excellence), Mehan is dedicated to closing the achievement gap so that more underrepresented students can become eligible for college. “For almost a decade, Mehan has been the faculty member in the forefront of our expanded outreach efforts to K-12,” says Paul W. Drake, dean of social sciences. “That extraordinary community service has been integrated with his excellent research on the sociology of education, especially in reference to underprivileged students, and his outstanding teaching on this subject to both undergraduates and graduates.” Mehan also provided the faculty leadership for the Teacher Education Program, and designed the curriculum for what would become the Preuss School at UCSD.

Media Contact: Shannon Casey, (858) 822-2485