Marketing & Communications
Division of University Relations and Development
News Release
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Contact: Steve Dolan FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
SAN DIEGO, Tuesday, May 7, 2002 — San Diego State University theatre professor Margaret McKerrow, nationally renown for her advocacy of children's drama, is among four California State University faculty members receiving the prestigious Wang Family Excellence Awards for 2002. McKerrow, who has served as a professor for three decades at SDSU, won in the category of Visual and Performing Arts and Letters. Each award winner receives $20,000, which he or she may use for any purpose. The recipients will receive the awards at the May 14 California State University trustees' meeting in Long Beach. "This award is wonderful for our department and San Diego State," McKerrow said. "When I came here in 1971, the child drama program did not even exist. From a small start it has grown to serve hundreds of SDSU students each year. I feel that this awards honors the Theatre Department for its support of my passion for the power and value of theatre for youth." A dynamic teacher-scholar and creative artist, McKerrow is nationally known in the field of child drama. Through her efforts to incorporate drama in the classroom, she has influenced and enriched the training of hundreds of new teachers. McKerrow has founded and gathered support for a number of notable theatrical outreach initiatives, including the university's Children's Drama Program and the annual Theatre for Young Audiences Program, which tours productions to local schools and reaches thousands of students who would otherwise have little contact with the dramatic arts. She is also the founder of the yearly Theatre of the World Festival for Children, which brings world-class theatre for children from around the world to perform on the SDSU campus. The Wang Family Excellence Awards were established in fall 1998 when CSU Trustee Stanley T. Wang gave the CSU system $1 million — the largest donation ever given to the system by an individual — to reward outstanding faculty and administrators. The award recognizes CSU faculty and administrators who have distinguished themselves through exemplary contributions and achievements in their academic disciplines and areas of assignment. "Great professors and leaders such as these sow the seeds for future generations of leaders," Wang said. "These individuals all have a strong passion for helping students learn and providing them with the best education possible." San Diego State University is the oldest and largest higher education institution in the San Diego region. Founded in 1897, SDSU has grown to offer bachelor's degrees in 78 areas, master's degrees in 61 areas and doctorates in 13. SDSU's more than 34,000 students participate in academic curricula distinguished by direct contact with faculty and an increasing international emphasis that prepares them for a global future. For more information log on to www.sdsu.edu. ### |
