Names & faces

Eva L. Baker and Gary Orfield have been elected to membership in the prestigious National Academy of Education, one of the highest distinctions accorded to a professor of education. Baker and Orfield are two of 16 members recently elected to the academy.

Robert S. Kirsner, professor of Dutch and Afrikaans, has been elected a member of the South African Academy of Science and Arts. Members are selected by virtue of scientific, technological or cultural achievements. The academy's mission is the advancement of science, technology and the arts, as well as the promotion of Afrikaans usage and the maintenance of good linguistic standards.

Marsha Kmec, director of library services at Olive View-UCLA Medical Center, has been named 2007 Librarian of the Year by the Librarians Association of the University of California, Los Angeles. This annual award recognizes excellence in librarianship, particularly as it furthers the teaching and research mission of UCLA and meets the intellectual, informational and cultural needs of the university community.

Martin F. Shapiro, professor of medicine and chief of the Division of General Internal Medicine and Health Services Research at the Geffen School of Medicine, has received the Herbert W. Nickens Award, which recognizes his commitment to cultural diversity in medicine. Shapiro's work focuses on the equitable application of medical care and on health services research for HIV.