Volume 53, Number 1 July 18, 2005 |
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Blitch, who will report directly to President Robert A. Corrigan and serve on the president's cabinet, has replaced James R. Collier, who retired late last year. "Lee Blitch is a true leader in the San Francisco community, and well positioned to further advance the University's profile and contributions. His fundraising, marketing and relationship-building expertise will be tremendous assets to San Francisco State University as we build toward the future," Corrigan said. A graduate of University of Florida, Blitch began his career with Southern Bell, where he established the Bell System's first marketing division and was involved in developing the phone center concept and the nation's first phone center. Prior to joining the Chamber in March 2001, Blitch was employed by AT&T for 37 years. He was AT&T's region vice president for consumer marketing in the Western and Pacific regions. Previously, he held various positions at the company including director of product management, director of marketing and advertising and manager of national sales. "This is an excellent opportunity for me to use skills acquired over a long career and intensive community experience to help link this outstanding 30,000-student university to the city, business community and its alumni," Blitch said. Active in community service, Blitch serves on the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Committee and the boards of the San Francisco Historical Society, American Chamber of Commerce Executives, National Center for Educational Accountability, Just for the Kids California, SF Works, World Affairs Council, School Alliance Foundation, Bay Area Sports Hall of Fame and Municipal Fiscal Advisory Committee for the Mayor. Blitch and his wife, Sandy, have two children. His daughter, Susan, is an attorney in Monterey and his son, Scott, is a graduate student majoring in microbiology at University of California, Berkeley. Creative Arts dean to lead art school at Temple Dean Keith Morrison said goodbye to his colleagues in the College of Creative Arts last month, as he accepted the position of dean at the Tyler School of Art at Temple University in Elkins Park, Pa., effective July 1. Morrison joined SFSU in 1994 after serving as dean of academic affairs at the San Francisco Art Institute. A search will be held to replace Morrison. Wan-Lee Cheng, College of Creative Arts associate dean, has been appointed acting dean. In a lengthy farewell letter to faculty, staff and students, Morrison noted some of the College of Creative Arts' top accomplishments during his tenure. They include: restructured academic departments, modified curricula, the handling of the 2004 budget crisis, collaborative projects between departments within and outside of the College, international projects, and well-received performances and art exhibitions. Morrison is also proud of the many students who won prestigious national and international awards in every department of the College -- which he believes is a credit to the faculty. "The Morrison legacy will be in the fine faculty he helped to bring to the College," President Robert A. Corrigan said. In Morrison's farewell letter, he thanked his colleagues and students for their work, dedication and accomplishments throughout his tenure. "The experience of knowing you and working with you is a gift I shall take with me and shall always treasure," he wrote. Morrison's paintings and prints have been featured in many publications and exhibited across the United States and abroad. He was selected to represent Jamaica at the 2001 Venice Biennale. A book about Morrison's art and art criticism, "Keith Morrison" by historian Renee Ater, was published in March by Pomegranate Press. Dean of undergraduate studies news History Professor Robert Cherny will serve a two-year appointment as acting dean of undergraduate studies, effective July 25. He replaces Daniel Buttlaire, who will return to the faculty in the Chemistry and Biochemistry Department. A search will be held to replace Buttlaire. Veteran political strategist to lead government relations Sam Rodriguez has been named senior director of government and community relations. The appointment was effective June 1. Rodriguez has held a variety of leadership roles in state and federal government agencies as well as political campaigns and organizations. In his new position, Rodriguez is charged with generating support for the University and its interests by working with the SFSU community, the CSU system, and national, state and local governmental entities on projects and initiatives of mutual benefit. He is also responsible for building relationships with constituent groups, assisting community leaders in gaining access to SFSU's resources, coordinating the University's response to political and policy issues, and advising administrators and faculty on strategies to facilitate constructive dialogue with public officials. "Sam Rodriguez's knowledge and extensive experience as well as his insights into the workings of government and politics will prove to be invaluable for San Francisco State University and the communities we serve," said Don Scoble, interim vice president for university advancement. "His energy and drive will be great assets to the University." Rodriguez was most recently political director for the California Democratic Party. A Sacramento resident and New York City native, Rodriguez holds a bachelor's degree in government and politics from University of Texas, Dallas. Rodriguez replaces Christine Treadway, who joined University of California, Berkeley, as director of state governmental relations. JAVA award served up to SFSU Faculty and students from the Romberg Tiburon Center and the SFSU Computer Science, Geosciences and Electrical Engineering departments won a Duke's Choice award at Sun Microsystems' annual JavaOne conference in San Francisco on June 28. NetBEAMS (Networked Bay Environmental Assessment Monitoring Systems), a sensor-based system to monitor and transmit environmental data via cellular phone to other wireless networks, was developed in an unique collaboration between SFSU, Sun Microsystems and Agilent Technologies. The award, named after the JAVA mascot, recognizes innovation and the exceptional use of the Java programming language and networking platforms. Leading the SFSU team were Arno Puder, assistant professor of computer science; Toby Garfield, associate professor of geosciences; and Todor Cooklev, assistant professor of engineering. NetBEAMS will collect data for the Coastal Observation Research and Education program, a statewide effort to monitor the California coastline. Learn more at: www.NetBEAMS.org In memoriam: Henry Clay Lindgren Henry Clay Lindgren, professor emeritus of psychology, died June 12 of heart failure at his San Francisco home. He was 91. Lindgren joined the SF State faculty in 1947 and retired in 1984. He served as director of the counseling center on campus from 1947 to 1949. Lindgren wrote more than 50 journal articles and 30 books. His books include "Meaning: An Antidote to Anxiety" in 1956, "An Introduction to Social Psychology" in 1969, and "Great Expectations: The Psychology of Money" in 1980. "He was a great raconteur, and he was just fun," said Rose Grabstein, a longtime friend of Lindgren and a former consultant for the Frank V. de Bellis Collection in the J. Paul Leonard Library. "He enjoyed traveling, and he knew a lot about where he went." Lindgren, a Sacramento native who grew up in Hawaii, earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Germanic languages from Stanford University. After completing his doctorate in education from Stanford, he served as a lieutenant commander in the Navy in World War II. Lindgren was renowned for his large collection of antique bronze and silver coins. His interest in rare coins was sparked during a stint as a Fulbright lecturer at University of Rome, Italy, in 1956-57. He wrote several books on his collection and lectured in several countries. He donated more than 1,000 coins from his collection to SFSU's Classics Department and Museum Studies Program. Lindgren is survived by his sisters, Patricia Kurts of Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, and Catherine McCracken of Escondido; brother William Lindgren of Rolla, Mo.; daughter Loretta Lindgren Voorhees of Chico; and two grandchildren. Memorial donations can be made to Kaiser Permanente Hospice Services, 4131 Geary Blvd., San Francisco, CA 94118; or to the American Numismatic Society, 96 Fulton St., New York, NY 10038. In memoriam: Graham Wilson Graham Cunningham Wilson, professor emeritus of English, died June 22 of heart failure at his San Francisco home. He was 89. Wilson served as chair of the English Department from 1973 to 1981. He retired in 1985. A native of Pittsburgh, Wilson moved with his family to Boise, Idaho, as an infant. He moved to a boarding house in Denver after age 12, separate from his family. He went on to earn bachelor's and master's degrees in English literature from University of Colorado. During World War II, Wilson served as a communications officer for the Navy on the USS Tattnall, a destroyer converted to a high-speed transport ship. Near the end of the war, he returned to the United States to teach naval tactics at Stanford University, where he later earned a doctorate in Renaissance literature and taught freshman English classes. His wife Lois Mayfield Wilson joined SF State’s English faculty in 1949, one year after they married. Wilson was not hired at that time only due to anti-nepotism laws, Mayfield Wilson said. He taught at San Jose State for nearly a decade instead and served as English Department chair his final year. He joined SF State in 1967, immediately after the anti-nepotism laws were abolished, she added. Wilson also taught American literature and linguistics in Greece, Norway, England and Italy as a Fulbright scholar, and enjoyed visiting professorships at University of Hawaii, Oregon State and Southern Oregon State. Wilson is survived by his wife -- a professor emerita who retired from SF State in 2000 -- as well as his sister Suzanne Field of Bennington, Vt., and daughter Erin Wilson and grandson Liam Wilson Mackenzie of New York City and Providence, R.I. At Wilson's request, no memorial services will be held. |
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