Honored Professor Tony Sheppard has been chosen to deliver this year's Livingston Lecture, one of the top honors accorded Sac State faculty each year. (Photo courtesy of Tony Sheppard)Tony Sheppard, professor and interim chair of the Department of Recreation, Parks, and Tourism Administration, will draw inspiration from the big screen and popular culture when he delivers the 2018-19 John C. Livingston Faculty Lecture at 3 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 19, in the University Union, Redwood Room.
His topic is “Jaws, Netflix, and Retention.”
Sheppard, who also serves as co-director of the Sacramento Film and Music Festival, will explore Sac State’s commitment to student retention by citing examples from the film industry and streaming services such as Netflix. He plans to integrate theory, research, personal anecdotes, and pop culture into his talk, as well as reflect on the price of theater popcorn, the downside of binge-watching TV shows and movies, and whether universities teach and measure what really matters.
The peer-chosen Livingston Faculty Lecture Award is one of the most prestigious recognitions for Sacramento State’s faculty.
"It's an honor to be associated with this award and the legacy of Professor Livingston and the many Livingston Lecturers who have gone before me,” Sheppard says. “Given the topic of my talk, and in the spirit of the film industry awards season currently in full swing, it was an honor just to be nominated.”
The idea of the Livingston Lecture dates to 1959, when John C. “Jack” Livingston, a respected scholar and professor of Government from 1954-82, delivered the first Distinguished Faculty Convocation Address. The practice continued for 11 years, with the exception of 1967-68, and ended in 1971. In 1985, the Academic Senate reinstated the annual faculty lecture in Livingston’s name.
The Livingston Lecture is awarded to faculty members who transcend their discipline and have a positive effect on the life of the University through teaching, service, or creative and scholarly activities, and who demonstrate consistent and engaging collegiality and a strong commitment to students.
“Tony is an institution at Sacramento State,” says Ántonia Peigahi, chair of the Faculty Senate. “He has so much knowledge and such a way of diving deeply into issues. His scholarship, teaching in the classroom, work with the Sacramento film community, and his shared governance efforts on campus are impressive. It's why he's a natural choice to deliver the annual Livingston Lecture. I’m excited to hear his comments on the graduation initiative.”
The Livingston Lecture is free and open to the public. A reception will follow Sheppard’s presentation.
Another celebration in March will honor the 24 recipients of the 2018-19 Outstanding Faculty Awards.
Sacramento State’s Faculty Senate each year singles out individuals in the teaching ranks for Outstanding Teaching, University Service, Scholarly and Creative Activity, and Community Service. Along with their contributions as educators and leaders, these faculty members are committed to student success and display consistent and engaging collegiality on campus.
The 24 honorees – chosen from 1,709 tenured and tenure-track faculty and librarians, and full and part-time lecturers – will be celebrated during a ceremony and reception at 3 p.m. Tuesday, March 12, in University Union, Cottonwood Suite. The event is open to everyone.
The awardees in each category are:
Outstanding Teaching
Reiko Komiyama, English, College of Arts & Letters (A&L)
Jesse Catlin, Marketing and Supply Chain Management Area, College of Business Administration (CBA)
Lisa William, Graduate and Professional Studies in Education, College of Education (EDU)
Kimberly Mulligan, Biological Sciences, College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics (NSM)
Dong Shen, Family and Consumer Sciences, College of Social Sciences & Interdisciplinary Studies (SSIS)
Outstanding University Service
Nancy Sweet, English (A&L)
Albert Lozano, Graduate and Professional Studies in Education (EDU)
Milica Markovic, Electrical and Electronic Engineering, College of Engineering and Computer Science (ECS)
Marlyn Jones, Criminal Justice, College of Health & Human Services (HHS)
Cynthia Kellen-Yuen, Chemistry (NSM)
Wesley Hussey, Political Science (SSIS)
Outstanding Scholarly and Creative Activity
Jonas Cope, English (A&L)
Peter Choi, Marketing and Supply Chain Management Area (CBA)
Melissa Holland, Graduate and Professional Studies in Education (EDU)
Jun Dai, Computer Science (ECS)
Jennifer Wolf, Social Work (HHS)
John Spence, Chemistry (NSM)
David Andersen-Rodgers, Political Science (SSIS)
Outstanding Community Service
Robert Stanley, English (A&L)
Rose Borunda, Graduate and Professional Studies in Education (EDU)
Warren Smith, Electrical and Electronic Engineering (ECS)
Robert Pieretti, Communication Sciences and Disorders (HHS)
Enid Gonzalez-Orta, Biological Sciences (NSM)
Yan (Joni) Zhou, Economics (SSIS) – Dixie Reid