(2005-05-26)
Washington, D.C. – Georgetown University’s Graduate School of Arts and Sciences awarded two professors with faculty research awards for distinguished achievement in scholarship and research. Dean David W. Lightfoot presented the awards as part of the school’s commencement activities.
“Each year, we recognize faculty at Georgetown University for their significant contributions to both the academic environment here on campus and the community as a whole,” Lightfoot said. “This year’s recipients demonstrate excellence in every aspect of their professional endeavors and we look forward to their continued success.”
Robert M. Veatch, professor of medical ethics, Graduate School Career Recognition Award
The Graduate School Career Recognition Award honors a faculty member at a career stage appropriate for an assessment of long-term contributions and influence. Veatch was recognized for his lasting contributions as one of the founders of the modern field of bioethics and the driving force behind establishing Georgetown University as a center of intellectual intelligence in the field. He is the author or editor of over 39 books and has published over 450 articles on the topic of medical ethics, among them A Theory of Medical Ethics (Basic Books, 1981), Case Studies in Pharmacy Ethics (Oxford, 1999) and The Basics of Bioethics (Prentice-Hall, 2000).
Veatch previously served as an ethics consultant and expert witness in more than 30 legal cases dealing with the issues of bioethics, including the legal case of Karen Ann Quinlan, the woman whose parents won the right to forego life-support (1975-76).
Dr. Sandra L. Calvert, professor of psychology, Graduate School Distinctive Achievement in Research Award
The Graduate School Distinctive Achievement in Research Award recognizes an individual’s accomplishment within the last five years. Calvert was honored for her work in establishing the Children’s Digital Media Center (CDMC) at Georgetown University. CDMC, a consortium of five universities funded by the National Science Foundation as part of its Children’s Research Initiative, seeks to create a quality media environment for today’s youth by analyzing the effects of media content on youth development and, subsequently, sharing those learnings with the policy makers and businesses responsible for creating and maintaining that content.
CDMC is both an extension and product of Calvert’s ongoing research, which seeks to gain a greater understanding of how interactive digital media experiences affect children's long-term social adjustment, academic achievement, and identity construction. In addition, her research seeks to determine the kinds of interactive digital media experiences children choose to have and how specific kinds of interactions with digital technologies impact their learning.
The two faculty awards are presented annually to two professors to honor distinguished achievement in research and scholarship. Award winners, selected by a research steering committee of their peers, receive a $10,000 cash prize, award citation and medal.
About Georgetown University
Georgetown University is the oldest Catholic and Jesuit university in America, founded in 1789 by Archbishop John Carroll. Georgetown today is a major student-centered, international, research university offering respected undergraduate, graduate and professional programs on its three campuses. For more information about Georgetown University, visit www.georgetown.edu.
Contact: Emilie Moghadam
202-687-4328
em284@georgetown.edu