Berkeleyan

Awards

12 January 2006

Lowell Bergman

Lowell Bergman, an adjunct professor in the Graduate School of Journalism, will be receiving two Alfred I. duPont-Columbia University Awards for broadcast journalism in recognition for his work as a correspondent on two Frontline documentaries. "Al Qaeda's News Front" advanced the story of terrorism beyond Iraq and 9/11 by depicting the methods of the terrorist organization in western Europe, eerily anticipating last summer's London bombings. "The Secret History of the Credit Card" exposed the many pitfalls for consumers in America's credit-card economy, with a focus on the calculated strategies of banks to export consumer debt to states that have no limits on interest rates or usury laws.

The awardees were chosen from a pool of 628 radio and television news entries that aired in the United States between July 1, 2004, and June 30, 2005. The winners will be presented with silver batons, the symbol for excellence in television and radio journalism, at a Jan. 18 awards ceremony at Columbia University. A one-hour documentary about the winners, "Telling the Truth: The Best in Broadcast Journalism," hosted by Michel Martin, will be broadcast nationwide on PBS stations beginning Tuesday, Jan. 24.

Harsha Ram

Harsha Ram, an associate professor of of Slavic languages and literatures, received a Modern Language Association of America (MLA) award for his book about the evolution of Russian poetry at the MLA's annual convention last month in Washington, D.C. The association committee that chose Ram for an honorable mention described his book, The Imperial Sublime: A Russian Poetics of Empire, as a "visionary, innovative study that builds a bold theoretical argument through thoughtful close readings and a solidly researched literary-historical narrative." Ram's book - published in 2003 - presents with "elegant lucidity" a "groundbreaking exploration" of the relationship between poetry and the development of the new imperial state in Russia during the 18th and 19th centuries, says a committee citation.

Rosemary Gillespie

Rosemary Gillespie, professor of Insect Biology in Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, was one of 10 individuals who were awarded the 2005 Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics and Engineering Mentoring (PAESMEM) on Nov. 16, 2005. The award includes a $10,000 grant for continued mentoring work. Gillespie, who is also director of Berkeley's Exploring California Biodiversity outreach program, was recognized primarily for her work on ways in which Native Pacific Island students can be encouraged to participate in the stewardship of island biology.