The Association of International Education Administrators has given an award to Vice Provost William B. Lacy for “extraordinary commitment” to the association.

Lacy

Lacy, who is stepping down this month as vice provost of University Outreach and International Programs, received the Timothy J. Rutenbar Award, named after the association’s late administrator. The award recognizes “truly exceptional service of long duration.”

Lacy is a former president of the association, and has held many other leadership positions, including a seat on the public policy board.

“He has mentored numerous colleagues in the field and has made thoughtful contributions to the association and international education field through his writing, speaking, contributions to national associations, and personal support of colleagues,” a news release states.

“He is widely traveled, deeply knowledgeable of the entire global context and inspiring to those he serves: students, faculty, administrators and senior policy makers.”

Lacy is leaving his vice provost’s position after 15 years. He will stay on as a professor of sociology in the Department of Human Ecology (formerly the Department of Human Community Development).

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The Institute of International Education recently honored Wesley Young, director of UC Davis’ Services for International Students and Scholars, for outstanding contributions to international student exchange.

Young

“We know we can always count on Wes to be there for the exchange visitors,” said Laurie Stevens of the institute, which administers the U.S. government’s Fulbright Program.

“He has served for multiple years on the International Education Administrators peer review committee, driven Fulbright scholars many miles to enrichment activities, greeted Fulbright language teaching assistants upon arrival, assisted Fulbright students with adjustment issues, and worked with the UC Davis chancellor’s office each year to invite all foreign students and scholars, U.S. alumni, and Humphrey Fellows to the annual UC Davis Fulbright Reception,” said Stevens, assistant director of Fulbright Services.

Young and UC Davis also have worked closely with the institute in support of other international education initiatives, including hosting students from Brazil as part of the Brazil Scientific Mobility Program.

The institute commended Young “for his invaluable role in furthering the partnership between IIE and UC Davis in support of the international students the university hosts.”

Said Stevens: “This partnership makes the Fulbright exchange a more memorable experience for the participants.”

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Dean Keith Simonton, distinguished professor of psychology, has been named the 2014 recipient of the Henry A. Murray Award, given by the American Psychological Association.

The award recognizes outstanding scientific and humanistic scholarship in the psychological study of individual human lives, and is named for the pioneering persoanlist psychologist, author of Explorations in Personality (1938). 

“Simonton is an unusually productive and prominent researcher whose work incorporates a diverse range of theories and methods,” the APA stated in announcing the award. “He combines the toughness of sophisticated statistical models with the tenderness of studying individual lives in all their complexity and nuance. He has consistently exhibited a style of intellectual leadership that has contributed to outstanding work in the personological tradition.”

Simonton is due to receive the award and give an address a year from now at the biennial convention of the Association for Research in Personality.

A UC Davis faculty member since 1976, Simonton has published 12 books and hundreds of articles on general psychology, personality psychology, developmental psychology, quantitative psychology, cross-cultural psychology and psychoanalysis, as well as on computer science, biology, music and history.

Among his books are Origins of Genius: Darwinian Perspectives on Creativity; Genius, Creativity and Leadership; Great Psychologists and Their Times; Creativity in Science; and The Social Science of Cinema.

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Husband-and-wife Robert “Bob” and Kinzie Murphy of Sacramento have been selected as the 2014 recipients of the Charles J. Soderquist Award — the UC Davis Foundation Board of Trustees’ highest honor for volunteer service to the university.

“We are both so honored by this recognition,” said Bob Murphy ’63, an attorney. “We credit UC Davis with our professional success and are proud to have family members who are fellow Aggies.”

He served as class president and student body president, and went on to become chair of the UC Davis Foundation Board of Trustees, president of the Cal Aggie Alumni Association and chair of the Davis Chancellor’s Club.

He and his wife have given to numerous UC Davis programs over the past four decades.

“As long-time friends of Charley, receiving this award named for him is a special honor,” said Kinzie Murphy ’64, a speech pathologist. “It’s a way to continue his and our commitment to support the students and programs at UC Davis.”

The Murphys have supported scholarships through the Cal Aggie Alumni Association since 1985, endowed their own scholarship in 1999 and recently established a scholarship to support former foster youths who want to become teachers.

Now they are putting their $5,000 Soderquist award money toward the creation of the George and Adele Nickel Family Scholarship for Education in Production Agriculture, to be fully endowed at $30,000 thanks to additional gifts from Adele Nickel, the Nickel family and friends.

Read the complete news release.

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Dateline UC Davis welcomes news of faculty and staff awards, for publication in Laurels. Send information to dateline@ucdavis.edu.

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