Dr. Laurence Branch Named 2008 Distinguished University Professor (DUP)

Dr. Laurence Branch, Department of Health Policy and Management, College of Public Health –

Dr. Branch is an internationally-recognized researcher in the field of gerontology. As evidence of the truly exceptional nature of Dr. Branch’s research record, he is one of only four scholars at USF to make the coveted ISI list of “highly cited researchers.” Including book chapters and technical reports in addition to refereed journal articles, he has some 380 publications to his credit, which is a phenomenal level of productivity over a career. Among his many accomplishments, Dr. Branch has been credited with conceptualizing the widely-used term “active life expectancy” to describe the time period over which the elderly are fully functional and independent. He has received extramural funding in excess of $12 million to support his various research programs. The external reviewers, from respected institutions such as Brown University, the University of Washington, and the University of Houston, provided substantial external validation that Dr. Branch is indeed nationally and internationally recognized for his scholarly contributions to the field of gerontology. As reflected in the glowing comments on his student evaluations and the numerical ratings, Dr. Branch is an outstanding teacher. In recognition of his excellent teaching at the doctoral level, Dr. Branch has had the unique honor of an award being named after him—the “Laurence G. Branch Doctoral Student Research Award” by the American Public Health Association, which is presented at its annual meeting. In addition to his exemplary scholarship and teaching contributions, Dr. Branch has served with distinction in a number of roles in professional organizations and is President-Elect of the USF Faculty Senate.

Dr. Arthur Bochner, Department of Communication, College of Arts and Sciences –

Dr. Bochner is a world-renowned scholar in the field of communication. He is considered one of the “primary thought leaders” in communications research and is recognized as one of the founding members of the sub-discipline of interpersonal communication, specifically autoethnography. Dr. Bochner has been a prolific writer, with some 35 refereed articles, 55 book chapters, and 4 books to his credit. The external reviewers from highly respected institutions such as the University of Texas, the University of Illinois, and The Ohio State University were uniformly glowing in their appraisal of the quality and impact of Dr. Bochner’s scholarly work. On the teaching dimension, Dr. Bochner has an equally distinguished record having won numerous teaching awards and being recognized, in particular, for his excellent mentoring of doctoral students. He has directed eight dissertations at USF; and his doctoral students have collectively published over 150 refereed articles and seven books. Dr. Bochner has also excelled at service, having served as department chair for two terms, on a number of committees in the College of Arts and Sciences, and as the College of Arts and Sciences representative on the Faculty Senate. Furthermore, he has also served his profession admirably, as editor, associate editor, or board member for sixteen journals and handbooks.

Being nominated for DUP status is a significant honor because it indicates that the individual has an outstanding scholarly record and has made significant contributions to USF and to her/his profession.

- USF Health -

USF Health is dedicated to creating a model of health care based on understanding the full spectrum of health. It includes the University of South Florida’s colleges of medicine, nursing, and public health; the schools of biomedical sciences as well as physical therapy & rehabilitation sciences; and the USF Physicians Group. With $308 million in research funding last year, USF is one of the nation’s top 63 public research universities and one of Florida’s top three research universities.