Two New Endowed Professorships to be Inaugurated at CLU

(THOUSAND OAKS, CA – November 2005) California Lutheran University will officially inaugurate the two newest endowed professorships at a special event on Thursday, Nov. 10. Michele LeBlanc, Ph.D., the Nena Amundson Professor of Biomechanics, and Michael Brint, Ph.D., the Uyeno–Tseng Professor of International Studies, will present lectures following a reception at 3:30 p.m. in Preus–Brandt Forum. The endowed professorships were announced during Honors Day last spring.

LeBlanc, who joined the CLU faculty in 2003 as an assistant professor of mathematics and exercise science and sports medicine (ESSM), will discuss “Human Performance: A Biomechanical Perspective” at 4 p.m. After receiving bachelor’s and master’s degrees in mathematics, LeBlanc completed her doctoral degree at Indiana University in the area of human performance. With a focus on the physics of movement in javelin throwing, LeBlanc has conducted biomechanical research for the U.S. Olympic Committee in conjunction with USA Track and Field since 1999. As the Nena Amundson Professor of Biomechanics, she will combine ESSM courses with bioengineering and mathematics.

Brint, who until recently served as Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at CLU, will discuss “Rousseau’s Political Theater: On Human Performance” at 4:45 p.m. As the holder of the first endowed professorship in the social sciences, he is devoting particular attention to expanding CLU’s international studies programs and developing a new program for Inter–American Studies. A graduate of University of California Santa Cruz,

Brint received his Ph.D. from Oxford University and has served as an assistant professor of government and foreign affairs at University of Virginia, as the Thomas Jefferson Professor at Cambridge University and as Director of the Integrated Program in Humane Studies at Kenyon College.

The endowed professorships are funded through a number of designated gifts and grants. The Uyeno–Tseng Professorship is named for Yutaka Uyeno and Edward Tseng, Ph.D. Yutaka Uyeno, one of Japan's most esteemed citizens, holds an honorary doctorate from CLU. The Yokohama resident and longtime supporter of CLU is an educator, a diversified international business owner, an artist and a public servant. Edward Tseng, Ph.D., a former official with the United Nations and a recognized scholar of Chinese culture, retired as a professor of political science in 2004 after teaching at CLU for nearly 40 years. As Dean of International Education, he established CLU’s annual Colloquium of Scholars and the Kwan Fong Institute.

The Nena Amundson Professorship is named in memory of one of the charter faculty members at CLU and the former chair of the Physical Education and Kinesiology Department. Amundson, who passed away in 1999, taught at St. Olaf College for three years before moving to California. After joining the CLU faculty in 1961, Dr. Amundson developed and taught a variety of courses, from methods of teaching and coaching to physiology of exercise and the history of physical education. She also coached women's athletic teams and served as women's athletic director for many years, making it her mission to boost athletic competition for women.

The lectures and reception are free and open to the public. For additional information, please call (805) 493–3145.