Claremont, Calif. (May 08,
2019)—Pitzer College names Donald McFarlane the Kenneth S. Pitzer Professor and
Norma Rodriguez the Flora Sanborn Pitzer Professor. The selections were made by
College’s appointment, promotion and tenure committee (APT) following a
nomination process by their faculty peers.
Kenneth S. Pitzer Professor Donald McFarlaneThe Kenneth S. Pitzer
Professorship recognizes academic excellence in the areas of mathematics and
the natural sciences. For this honor, the APT Committee selected Professor of
Biology and Environmental Science Donald
McFarlane. McFarlane is a leading scholar in his fields of
bio-geomorphology and bio-microclimate studies of caves. He is co-author of
nearly one-hundred publications and has been extremely successful in securing
funding for his research–particularly from the National Geographic Society–as
well as for research opportunities involving students and colleagues. McFarlane
is a lauded teacher and mentor within the Keck Science Department where he
shares his research interests in biology, tropical ecology, and evolution with
his students. His influence on students’ educational experience is not limited
to Claremont. McFarlane was one of the first biologists to conduct fieldwork
with students in Costa Rica, and later, in 2003, he became the pioneer faculty
member to develop the Firestone Center for Restoration Ecology, the heart of
Pitzer College’s study abroad program in Costa Rica. He holds a BSc from the
University of Liverpool, a MSc from Queens University of Belfast, and PhD from
the University of Southern California.
Flora Sanborn Pitzer Professor Norma RodriguezThe Flora Sanborn Pitzer
Professorship recognizes substantial distinction in the fields of mathematics
and applied mathematics in the social or behavioral sciences. APT selected
Professor of Psychology Norma
Rodriguez for this award, given her preeminence as a psychometrician
whose scholarship and teaching foreground the use of quantitative methods.
Rodriguez’s influential research has focused on mental health among Latinx and
immigrant communities. To understand the role of culturally relevant stressors
she developed innovative psychometric instruments, including the
Multidimensional Acculturation Scale and the Multidimensional Acculturative
Stress Inventory Scale. Rodriguez has an impressive publication record that
includes numerous papers co-authored with students who have benefited from her
exemplary mentorship and, as one nomination letter states, her “passion
for statistical methods and research design.” Rodriquez has been awarded
numerous research grants and fellowships including several from the Ford
Foundation. She most recently held Pitzer’s Peter and Gloria Gold Professorship
from 2013 to 2018. She holds her BA and PhD from the University of Texas at
Austin.
The Kenneth S. Pitzer
Professorship was last held by Professor Emeritus of Physics
Stephen Naftilan while the Flora Sanborn Pitzer Endowed
Professorship was last awarded to Professor Emeritus of Mathematics Jim
Hoste.
