Farewell faculty celebration
Claremont McKenna College honored four retiring faculty members in a celebration full of warm memories and gratitude for their contributions to the CMC community.
Professors Esther Hernandez, Fred Lynch, Marc Massoud P’89, and Ralph Rossum P’01 P’08 were toasted by their colleagues, friends, and family at a May 3 event, led by Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of the Faculty Heather Antecol and President Hiram Chodosh.
“It is an honor for me to be here today to celebrate these extraordinary faculty members who have contributed so profoundly to the intellectual and social vitality of our community,” Antecol said as she introduced the honorees. She noted that collectively Hernandez, Lynch, Massoud, and Rossum had served the College for approximately a combined 135 years. “Their commitment to our students, their research, their colleagues and friends, as well as their community is unparalleled.”
A noted playwright and theater director, and prolific writer and editor, publishing articles on theory in academic journals in Mexico, Spain, and her native Cuba, Hernandez was introduced by her colleague, Prof. Salvador Velazco.
Hernandez expressed gratitude for the two decades she taught language, culture and theater courses at CMC. “But more importantly,” she added, “I’m grateful for 20 years of learning. Yes, learning. My students have been my instructors….they kept me refreshed and up-to-date throughout this time at CMC.”
Rossum’s colleague, Charles Kesler, the Dengler-Dykema Distinguished Professor of Government at CMC, described Rossum as the definition of “responsible leadership.” Rossum, the Henry Salvatori Professor of American Constitutionalism, arrived at CMC in 1984 and, between 1988 and 1991 served as Vice President and Dean of the Faculty, after serving as Director of the Henry Salvatori Center for the Study of Freedom in the Modern World. In 2000, he began a decade-long term as Director of the Rose Institute of State and Local Government.
Kesler noted that Rossum is a “voluminous and impressive author” and Constitutional expert, who “set the standard” publishing 12 books and more than 70 book chapters on the American founding and history, including his two-volume textbook American Constitutional Law, now in its 11th edition; and more recently, Understanding Clarence Thomas: The Jurisprudence of Constitutional Restoration, and Antonin Scalia’s Jurisprudence: Text and Tradition.
After accepting his honor, Rossum then introduced Government department colleague, Lynch, who served 32 years at the College. Rossum highlighted Lynch's many books and professional articles, including The Diversity Machine and One Nation Under AARP. In addition, Rossum noted that Lynch’s classes were popular with students, who were drawn in by his expertise in social inequality, diversity policies, political correctness, and generational politics. Throughout his years at CMC, Lynch’s expertise also drew attention from national media outlets for interviews, and he penned countless op-eds for publications ranging from Newsweek and The New York Times, to Forbes.
“This place is fabulous,” Lynch said, describing the joy he experienced teaching CMC’s “wonderful students.”
Josh Rosett, the Curb Family Associate Professor of Business and Law, and George R. Roberts Fellow, introduced his colleague, Massoud. Rosett shared how when he arrived at CMC, a mutual colleague told him that Massoud “was a force of nature.”
“After knowing and working with him for 20 years, I have to say that in the comparison between Marc and nature, nature takes the second place,” Rosett said, adding that, “Marc is a powerful force for good,” who had a substantial impact on the entire CMC community.
Massoud, the Robert A. Day Distinguished Professor of Accounting, joined the CMC faculty in 1980. Affectionately known as “Dad” by his students and colleagues, Massoud won multiple Huntoon Teaching Awards at CMC, and the Kravis Living Room was recently renamed “The Massoud” in his honor. In addition, his legacy will be preserved with a named professorship and funds for student support.
In his remarks, Massoud promised that he would continue to dedicate himself to CMC in “every way that I can,” thanked everyone for joining the celebration, and wished his fellow retiring colleagues the best of luck on their next ventures. “Thank you for giving me this opportunity to be part of CMC’s legacy,” he said.
— Anne Bergman
CMC faculty and staff gathered at the Athenaeum for the annual Faculty Awards Celebration, and a special keynote address on “Imagination, Society, and the Self” by Professor Amy Kind, who was also recognized for 25 years of service at CMC.
Heather Antecol, Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of the Faculty, opened the event with words of appreciation for faculty dedication, and shared impressive numbers achieved by the faculty as a whole in 2022. “Collectively, we have published 149 peer-reviewed journal articles, 31 book chapters, nine books, 24 creative works, and 120 miscellaneous publications. We have received 19 external grants and co-authored 29 publications with students,” she shared. “This is truly an outstanding body of scholarship that we are celebrating today.”
Faculty applauded with support and excitement for their peers as Associate Dean of the Faculty for Curriculum and Associate Professor of Literature Ellen Rentz recognized faculty for their dedicated years of service at CMC:
25 Years
Darren Filson is the James G. Boswell Professor of Economics and Director of the Randall Lewis Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship. Under the Robert Day School of Economics and Finance, most of his research and teaching focuses on the intersections of industrial organization, finance, and strategy, with an emphasis on industry evolution and innovation. In addition, Filson serves as academic director of the Silicon Valley Program.
Amy Kind is the Russell K. Pitzer Professor of Philosophy and Director of the Gould Center for Humanistic Studies. In addition to her 2021 co-edited book Epistemic Uses of Imagination, Kind published her textbook Philosophy of Mind: The Basics in 2020. Most recently, her co-authored monograph What is Consciousness? A Debate will be published by Routledge this summer. Kind was last year's recipient of the Faculty Scholarship Award.
Salvador Velazco is Associate Professor of Latin American Cinema and Literature in CMC’s Modern Languages and Literatures Department. He currently serves as Spanish Coordinator overseeing adjunct faculty and the Spanish labs tutorial program, in addition to teaching courses in Spanish language and Mexican cinema.
35 Years
Asuman Aksoy is the Crown Professor of Mathematics and George R. Roberts Fellow. Having taught in CMC’s Mathematical Sciences department since 1987, her areas of expertise include functional analysis, metric geometry, and operator theory. This year, she was honored by Claremont Graduate University with their Institute of Mathematical Sciences Award in recognition of her contributions to the education and thesis work of CGU students. She also served this year on both the Faculty Research Committee, as well as the Campus Planning and Facilities Committee of the Board of Trustees.
Robert Valenza is the Dengler-Dykema Chair of Mathematics and the Humanities and joined the CMC faculty in 1988. His co-edited book, The Essays and Articles of Alfred North Whitehead, 1886 to 1916 has recently been accepted for publication. In addition to teaching courses in calculus and linear algebra, in 2022 Valenza taught a freshman humanities seminar. He is also the faculty sponsor of the CMC acapella group.
45 Years
Marie-Denise Shelton is a Professor of French in CMC’s Modern Languages and Literatures department and joined the CMC faculty in 1977. She has authored or edited four books on francophone and Caribbean literatures, and is currently working on a book-length essay on the image of Africa in Dada and surrealism. In addition, she is an accomplished pianist.
Andrew Schroeder, Associate Dean of the Faculty for Research and Professor of Philosophy, then took the stage to proudly announce the 2022-23 faculty award winners for teaching, research, and service; recognizing talent, creativity, and dedication:
Tamara Venit-Shelton, Professor of History: G. David Huntoon Senior Teaching Award
Venit-Shelton chaired the History Department this year, as well as the faculty steering committee for the Presidential Initiative on Anti-Racism and the Black Experience in America. She also co-authored America: The Atlas, a Smithsonian Institute project published this year. One of her student nominators wrote:
“Professor Venit-Shelton changed the course of my educational path here at CMC for the better. I took her History and Disease course and discovered the intersections between history, policy, art, and health. She later gave me meaningful feedback on my senior thesis making the work culturally informed and historically meaningful.”
- Lisa Koch, Assistant Professor of Government: Glenn R. Huntoon Award for Superior Teaching
Since joining the CMC faculty in 2016, Koch has taught courses in international relations, American foreign policy, security studies, and the politics of nuclear weapons. She authored Nuclear Decisions: Changing the Course of Nuclear Weapons Programs, which was accepted for publication this year by Oxford University Press. One student nominator shared:
“She is one of the kindest professors I have ever met, and is extremely generous with her time, resources, and knowledge. She is a role model for all women pursuing careers in male-dominated fields.”
- Lars Schmitz, Associate Professor of Biology: Faculty Scholarship Award
Schmitz joined the Keck Science department in 2012. His research on a giant, newly discovered species of ichthyosaurus, Cymbospondylus youngorum, received broad media coverage including National Geographic, Nature, and CNN. Multiple nominators cited his impressive and collaborative research publication record, including in collaboration with many student authors. One colleague wrote:
“In the past three years, Lars has published 17 papers, including two in Science and two in Nature. This would be an impressive record at a much larger institution like USC or UCLA, where faculty have an army of graduate students to conduct research for them. At CMC, it is simply outstanding.”
- Anna Wenzel, Professor of Chemistry: Roy P. Crocker Award for Service
Wenzel joined the Keck Science department in 2006. This year, she served on the Administration Committee, chaired the Diversity Committee through its rollout of the HEDS campus climate survey data, and ran the Science Management major, all while serving as convener of the Chemistry discipline at Keck Science.
Wenzel’s nominators also cited her many contributions to the development of the Kravis Department of Integrated Sciences, and her role as a mentor to junior faculty and student advisors.
After applause for the award winners, Dean Antecol presented the Dean's Distinguished Service Award.
- Cathy Reed, Professor of Psychological Science and Psychological Science Department Chair: Dean's Distinguished Service Award
Reed has 66 peer-reviewed publications, many co-authored with students, as well as 17 book chapters. She currently has two NSF grants, including “PURSUE” (Preparing Undergraduates for Research in STEM Using Electrophysiology). This year, she mentored 14 undergraduates in her cognitive neuroscience lab, in addition to 5C neuroscience majors through Keck Science.
She serves on the Curriculum Committee, Committee of Chairs, and chairs the Keck Science Reappointment, Promotion, and Tenure Committee, Admissions and Financial Aid Committee, and is the Interdisciplinary Science Scholarship faculty advisor. She also mentored junior and visiting faculty in psychological science and neuroscience. Together with Professor Piercarlo Valdesolo, she is working with students to restart the Psych Club to build community among psychology majors.
Schroeder then announced the event’s speaker, Professor Amy Kind. To introduce her presentation on “Imagination, Society, and the Self,” Kind presented photos of children dressed up as their heroes, including former Associate Justice of the Supreme Court Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Poet Laureate Amanda Gorman, and former First Lady Michelle Obama. She explained these examples with young children “help us to see how societal interactions can help to open up and broaden our imaginations. By presenting us with a new range of experiences that we can then imagine ourselves undertaking. These societal interactions help us to expand the options for the future that we can envision for ourselves.”
As Dean Antecol closed the ceremony, she said, “I am impressed and humbled to witness the many ways you all have continued to bring the best of yourselves to our students, to your research, and most of all to each other. It is a privilege to work with all of you.”
View the Faculty Awards Celebration digital program and a list of all faculty publications and grants of 2022.