When Janet O’Shea first arrived at UCLA’s School of the Arts and Architecture in 2008, she immediately dove into her responsibilities as a teacher, scholar and colleague in the world arts and cultures/dance department. Before long, she became popular not only in her field of expertise ― dance studies ― but also in two unexpected disciplines outside of her initial appointment: food studies and self-defense.
O’Shea’s versatility was one of the many reasons why her colleague, Lionel Popkin, decided to nominate her for this year’s Gold Shield Faculty Prize. Sponsored by Gold Shield Alumnae, which was founded in 1936 by 12 women to provide service to the university and its community, the annual prize awards $30,000 to an exceptional mid-career full professor with a distinguished record of undergraduate teaching, research and university service. O’Shea was chosen as the 2020 recipient by the Gold Shield Faculty Prize Committee.
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