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Vellequette is a fourth-year inter-national development studies student.

By Jim Vellequette

On March 15, Professor Joshua Muldavin will commence his last regularly scheduled lecture as a professor of geography at UCLA, unless something changes. A group of students have been organizing this past month to raise awareness of this issue in hope that Chancellor Carnesale will intercede and grant him tenure (“Students rally behind popular professor,” Daily Bruin, News, Feb. 21).

The students advocating Professor Muldavin’s tenure at UCLA come from a wide spectrum of majors at both the graduate and undergraduate level. Our fields of study are very diverse and so are our motivations to see him stay at UCLA and become a tenured professor.

Through Professor Muldavin’s highly-regarded Geography 5 course, many students have attained a new and unique view of the world environment and the economy. This sobering perspective on the future has opened the minds of many students to the reality of the problems we face as a planet and as a people.

All of his courses are taught through his style of sweaty manic energy, powerful presentation and terrible jokes, not to mention lots of reading, writing, and research.

I am personally fighting for Professor Muldavin’s tenure for several reasons. I have attended seven colleges and universities in my academic career as a professional student, and I have experienced the teaching style of almost 100 professors. Among those 100, Joshua would rank in my top three as one of the most effective instructors.

UCLA agreed with me, and awarded him the 1998 Distinguished Teaching Award from the Academic Senate’s Committee on Teaching, an award that is not given out lightly. The Daily Bruin even ran a picture of Chancellor Carnesale handing him one of his many teaching awards on the front page (Daily Bruin, News, Feb. 21). The decision to deny him tenure just doesn’t make any sense.

The biggest criticism leveled at Professor Muldavin is that he is lacking in publication and research.

My exposure to his work shows that he clearly understands the value of research and getting it right.

While many doctors of geography have focused their research on a plant or animal life, which is not to be devalued in any way, Professor Muldavin has focused his research on the enigmatic people and economy of China.

China’s economy and people do not cycle or change as quickly as plant and animal life, but Professor Muldavin has stuck with a long-term analytical process that is necessary for the academic integrity of his work.

I know that Professor Muldavin could put his insanely busy life aside, sit down and write the book about China that he has in his head. But in addition to the massive amount of work that he is already doing on campus, he is writing a new book with Piers Blaikie of East Anglia University, Norwich, about geographic watersheds in China.

Thus, Professor Muldavin’s own book will have to wait a little longer – and I know we can wait a little longer. We once kept an instructor named John Wooden on our faculty even though he did not start winning the big victories until his 16th year at UCLA.

Had Professor Muldavin published more or presented at more conferences in the last 10 years, thousands of his students would not have benefited from his academic guidance.

Additionally, thousands of other students who have gotten to know Professor Muldavin through his decision to live in the dorms would not have benefited from his insight and wisdom. They would have missed out on a great advisor on life.

Ultimately, Professor Muldavin needs to remain a member of our faculty because of his ability as a teacher. There is a methodology and an excitement in the way he presents his material that motivates students to learn and care about what they are learning.

Professor Muldavin acknowledges that his reward as a teacher comes from seeing his students gain confidence in their ability to think, discuss and write critically. He wants every student to leave his class with enhanced analytical abilities that they can use through life. Speaking from experience, we do.

Chancellor Carnesale stresses the importance and value that interdisciplinary and international studies must play in the future of UCLA’s academic environment. As the Chair of International Development Studies, an interdisciplinary degree program that utilizes coursework from over 20 different academic departments, Professor Muldavin is putting the Chancellor’s vision for UCLA into action everyday.

If you agree with me that it is important that UCLA retain Professor Muldavin in geography, I would like to ask you to write a brief, courteous note to our esteemed Chancellor, Albert Carnesale at acarnesale@ucla.edu and request his intercession in this process on behalf of Joshua Muldavin and the students of UCLA.

Finally, remember that Professor Joshua Semyon Sylvan Muldavin wears size 16 shoes and ultimately we will never find anyone who can fill his shoes here at UCLA.

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