LALS Graduate Program Coordinator Lorato Anderson has been honored with the Division of Social Sciences Staff Outstanding Achievement Award. "What stood out was her impact across two completely different departments," summarized Assistant Dean Kyle Eishchen, who chaired this year's selection committee.
Anderson joined the LALS and Politics Departments in 2018, having previously worked as an undergraduate advisor in the Psychology Department at UCSC. She quickly and thoroughly impressed staff, faculty, and students alike with her above-and-beyond work in graduate program coordination and advising, significantly impacting the two communities she supports.
Anderson meets regularly with graduate students and faculty, and also with LALS undergraduate students who are interested in graduate programs. Anderson describes her work, which is informed by her masters degree focusing on English-language learning and assessment: “I take pride in incorporating social justice, as well as compassionate and research-based advising strategies and teaching pedagogies, in my work in advising, administration, and program development.” Read Anderson's full speech here.
"LALS Associate Professor Sylvanna Falcón’s teaching record reflects her phenomenal engagement with our students, both in the classroom and beyond. Students regularly note that her courses are 'awesome,' that they are 'eternally grateful for what they learned,' and that she is 'the best professor' that they have ever had at UCSC." See the Division's full acknowledgement and award description here.
Established in 1991, Golden Apple recipients are recommended by a faculty committee named by the dean of Social Sciences, based on nominations submitted by department chairs. In the award presentation, previous awardee and Associate Professor of Sociology Steven McKay noted Dr. Falcón's deep and consistent commitment to human rights and social justice. LALS Chair Dr. Gabriela Arredondo writes in her nomination letter:
"Professor Falcón’s teaching record reflects her serious commitment to undergraduate and graduate education through her engagement with challenging but deeply transformative courses on Latin American human rights, social justice, and feminist activism."
Dr. Falcón's work as director of the Research Center for the Americas and development of its cutting edge Human Rights Investigations Lab underscore her deep commitment to human rights and social justice. UCSC undergrads can experience her popular lower-division LALS class in spring 2021: LALS 5: Introduction to Human Rights and Social Justice.
