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Three faculty members at San Jose State University were recognized for their efforts in different disciplines.

The justice studies department, represented by its chair, Inger Sagatun-Edwards, received the J. Edgar Hoover Memorial Scholarship. The award was given by the Society of Former Special Agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Jan English-Lueck, chair of anthropology, was the recipient of one of eight grants awarded by the Overseas Chinese Youth Forum.

Maria Ochoa, a lecturer in social sciences, was named a member of the Oakland Museum of California Foundation Board of Trustees.

Justice studies "honored" by award

With more students, majors and awards, Sagatun- Edwards said she is proud of the justice studies department.

"It's the honor more than the money," she said. "I mean, the money will be very helpful, of course, but I think it's a great honor for our department to be chosen."

Sagatun-Edwards accepted the J. Edgar Hoover Memorial Scholarship on behalf of the justice studies department two weeks ago at the society's conference in San Francisco.

Sagatun-Edwards found out about the scholarship through Patricia McNeill, director of development for university advancement.

This year was the first time the justice studies department applied for the scholarship.

The scholarship money will be used in several different ways.

"(There are) several scholarships in our department," said Sagatun-Edwards. "This one, we're trying to make it a little broader, possibly use it to pay research assistants or teaching assistants."

Some of the former FBI agents were graduates of the justice studies department, and Sagatun-Edwards said she would like to create a new student scholarship with it.

"Many of our students aspire to become FBI agents, so I think that the money will probably be a scholarship for a person wanting to go to the FBI," she said.

She said that the justice studies department has grown in the 12 years she has been at SJSU.

"We have 600 majors and we've had (a) big increase in students this semester, way above our target," she said.

Along with more students, more majors are being offered as well.

"Paradise" for English-Lueck

With her enthusiasm for China, Jan English-Lueck is thrilled to go there to teach.

"Yunnan is an anthropologist's paradise," she said.

English-Lueck, chair of anthropology, was the recipient of one of eight grants awarded by the Overseas Chinese Youth Forum. With the $2,500 grant, she will teach a graduate class in human geography at Yunnan Normal University in China in June 2005.

English-Lueck is a cultural anthropologist, who specializes in human culture and society.

She will work with Wu Yinghui, director of the Office of Foreign Affairs and dean of the Institute of Chinese and International Studies at Yunnan Normal University.

English-Lueck will help Wu with a book he is writing about American anthropology. A chapter of Wu's book will be written by English-Lueck. Between writing and teaching, she said it is likely she will conduct research.

Many Chinese minorities are in Yunnan, a province in China, making it a culturally diverse place for anthropologists to conduct research, English-Lueck said.

English-Lueck found out about the grant from International and Extended Studies, which brought Wu and a group of Chinese scholars from Yunnan Normal University to SJSU last year.

"I was delighted to see another anthropologist and was able to be in touch with him," English-Lueck said.

She explained that Chinese anthropologists are relatively rare.

"Anthropology is not a strong fi eld in China," English-Lueck said. "(The Chinese government) did not devote a lot of resources to it, so it's been very small-scale, despite the enormity of the Chinese educational system."

Wu invited her to Yunnan Normal University and she organized a course proposal.

English-Lueck said, "This was all made possible by the sister relationship that we have with San Jose State University and Yunnan Normal University."

While she was applying for the grant, English-Lueck said she was different from most of the other grant applicants.

"It's sort of unusual for me to do it," she said. "Most of the people who have gotten the grant have been overseas Chinese people. So I'm unusual in not being an overseas Chinese person. But I have some experience teaching in China and I think that that helped as well."

"Overseas Chinese" is a term that refers to individuals who are born in China or are of Chinese descent and are now in the United States, said English-Lueck.

English-Lueck has taught at Chengdu University in Sichuan and at the University of Hong Kong as a Fulbright scholar.

She also said she has taught in Taiwan as well, in Taipei and Hsinchu.

English-Lueck has written several books, including "Cultures Silicon Valley" and "Chinese Intellectuals on the World Frontier."

Ochoa excited to serve community

With 20 years of experience in community-based organizations, Maria Ochoa was a natural choice for the Oakland Museum of California's board of trustees.

"I was nominated by other trustees who knew of my work as a scholar and as a community activist," Ochoa said.

Ochoa's written work includes "Creative Collaborations: Chicana Painters Working in Community." She was the coordinator of a nonprofit visual arts center for five years and has been involved in community- based nonprofit organizations for the past 20 years, Ochoa said.

The Oakland Museum of California is similar as a nonprofit, with Ochoa's past experience helping her, she said.

The role of the foundation and the board of trustees is three-fold, Ochoa said.

First, the trustees support the mission of the museum.

Ochoa said the museum is unique because of its three emphases on the art, history and natural science of California.

The museum has three floors, with each emphasis occupying its own floor.

Second, the trustees assist in the governance of the museum.

"Our work as trustees is to partner with the staff and members of the community to provide governance and oversight in the administration of the museum, and assist in the identification of resources for the museum to conduct its work," Ochoa said.

Third, the trustees provide assistance and outreach.

Ochoa said this means fundraising and reaching out to the "external base" for the museum.

Ochoa is also one of 25 members on the board of trustees and she said the position is an honor.

"It's a really exciting way to serve the community," Ochoa said.