SF STATE NEWS -- During the August 20 virtual Opening Convocation marking the beginning of the fall semester, San Francisco State University honored faculty and staff members for exceptional service to the University community.
Four faculty members received the Distinguished Faculty Award, which has been given each year since 2007 to recognize excellence in teaching, service and professional achievement. In addition, one staff member was honored with the Distinguished Staff Award for Excellence in Service, which recognizes the efforts of staff members who enhance work conditions at the University. Collectively, their accomplishments span from securing highly competitive grants to developing courses that promote equity and diverse representation.
Burcu Ellis: Excellence in Teaching Award (Tenured Faculty)
Ellis is a professor in the Department of International Relations, where she started as an assistant professor in 2003. She has played an integral role in shaping undergraduate and graduate curricula for the department since joining the University. For example, she developed two certified general education undergraduate courses, Refugees in International Perspective and Muslim Societies in Transition, and the graduate course International Migration.
Ellis’ colleagues say she brings her own ethnographic research to life in her instruction, designing innovative courses in which students critically analyze issues of identity, migration and belonging in a globalized world. These courses are designed to be inclusive of students of different backgrounds, creating a classroom culture that promotes equity, understanding and tolerance.
Nalini Libby: Excellence in Service (Staff)
Libby is the academic operations manager for the School of Cinema at SF State. She has been employed by the University in different capacities since 2006 and is also an alumna of SF State, already demonstrating a high level of commitment to the University.
Libby has become an integral and essential member of the School of Cinema, exceeding expectations and requirements of her job title. “Without Nalini’s constant work, the basic functions of the School of Cinema would grind to a bumpy stop,” one faculty member said.
Each of this year’s award recipients received a $4,000 stipend. That stipend is funded in perpetuity by the generous support of the SF State Foundation and its partnership with the Academic Senate.