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The Regents of the University of California
 

Names And Faces

HONORS

Legendary producer Roger Corman has agreed to provide production funding of $100,000 through his company, New Horizons, to one or more School of Theater, Film and Television students to produce a feature-length motion picture. To be eligible, students must be near completion of the graduate M.F.A. program in film directing. After students have submitted proposals, a faculty committee will forward appropriate projects for Corman’s final selection.... UCLA has 97 physicians profiled in the latest [4th] edition of Castle Connolly’s guide, America’s Top Doctors. The guide and online database profile nearly 4,800 medical specialists, representing the top 1% in the nation. UCLA has the largest number of MDs listed for the West Coast and the third-largest for the nation. The publication is a nationwide reference guide based on nominations by physicians around the country.... The Phi Beta Kappa Society has selected Joyce Appleby, professor emerita of history, to participate in its new Couper Scholars Program. During the academic year, four Couper Scholars will visit selected colleges and universities. Each visit will include a lecture for undergraduates, informal discussions with students and faculty members, and a meeting with the dean of liberal arts and sciences.

KUDOS

Professor Emerita of History Nikki Keddie has been awarded the Balzan Prize for her studies, research and many publications on the Islamic world. Only the third woman to be honored by the Zurich-based International Balzan Foundation, Keddie was recognized for her contributions to the understanding of the Islamic world from the end of the 19th century through the 20th century. Her latest book is “Modern Iran: Roots and Results of Revolution” (Yale, 2003), and her forthcoming book, “Women in the Middle East, Past and Present,” will be published by Princeton University Press in 2005. The foundation awards four prizes annually in the humanities and sciences. The prize, considered the closest thing to a Nobel prize for its two recipients in history and the social sciences, is divided into two parts of 500,000 Swiss Francs each, with half going to support research by young scholars.... Sylvia Hurtado, a nationally and internationally recognized scholar in higher education who has focused her research on issues of diversity and democratic practices, has joined the faculty and leads the Higher Education Research Institute. She previously served as director of the Center for the Study of Higher and Postsecondary Education at the University of Michigan.

IN MEMORIAM

Yvette Johnson, an administrative specialist for 16 years at the UC Southern Regional Library Facility, died of cancer on Nov. 6. She was 60.

Tom Fitzgerald, 53, who led the UCLA soccer team to a National Collegiate Athletic Association title in 2002, died Dec. 4 in Tampa, Fla., of injuries suffered in a motorcycle accident.

He was on his way to Bradenton, Fla., to scout players at a tournament when the accident occurred. He was taken to Tampa General Hospital where he later passed away.

The 52-year-old Fitzgerald, who coached at Tampa from 1987-1995, rejoined the program in 2003 after resigning from UCLA in 2002 to be closer to his two sons and grandchildren. During his time at UCLA, Fitzgerald and the Bruins captured the program's first ever Pac-10 Conference title in 2002, and followed up with a national championship year with an undefeated Pac-10 season. In his 12 seasons as a collegiate head coach, Fitzgerald amassed an impressive 176-46-16 record.

He was remembered by many as a good person, and one who had a great sense of humor and love of life.

In commemoration of Fitzgerald, the UCLA women's players wore black armbands during their NCAA Championship match on Sunday.