The USC Academic Senate chose Solomon Golomb, Sandeep Gupta, and Maja Matarić as recipients of this year's Distinguished Faculty Service Awards.
"It is of course highly unusual for all three awardees to come from the same school, even a large one such as VSOE," wrote Bruce Alan Brown of the Thornton School, who presided over the selection process. "But we on the task force this year felt that these three nominees were simply the best and most logical ones, and that giving an award to a different nominee just for the sake of balance would be unfair, and dilute the significance of the award."
Golomb
Golomb's commendation and plaque salutes his "mentoring work in the departments of Electrical Engineering and Mathematics, your service on a wide array of School of Engineering and University committees, and for your past service as President of the Faculty Senate of the University of Southern California.” Hsieh Department Chair Alexander Sawchuk nominated him for the honor.
Gupta's award text pays tribute to his "exceptional contributions as chair of (respectively) the Engineering Faculty Council, the Viterbi Information Technology Advisory Committee (VITAC), and the Faculty Handbook Committee." Epstein Department Chair James Moore nominated Gupta.
Gupta
Matarić is saluted for "pioneering work in robotics in support of special-needs patients, for your furtherance of research in the Viterbi School of Engineering, and for your service as founding chair of the Women in Science and Engineering (WISE) Committee and as President of the Academic Senate of the University of Southern California." Science librarian Najwa Hanel nominated Matarić.
Matarić
The Academic Senate is the representative body of the entire faculty at USC, consisting primarily of representatives elected by Faculty Councils at the various schools. As a voice for faculty working with the university administration, it strives to further the academic mission and integrity of the university as a community of scholars, artists and professionals dedicated to the pursuit of knowledge.
The awards ceremony took place May 13.
