Plous Winner to Speak on India

One of the perks of being chosen for UCSB's Harold J. Plous Memorial Award is the opportunity to speak to colleagues, students, and the community about one's research.

But by the time Mary Hancock, then an assistant professor of anthropology, found out about her selection in 1999, she was ready to depart for India on a nine-month sabbatical.

Hancock finally will make her address-- "Gandhi in 21st Century India: Remembered Futures, Everyday Histories" --at 4 p.m. on Jan. 18 in the UCen's Corwin Pavilion. It will discuss the contexts, contradictions, and goals that characterize some new architectural, social service, and civil rights projects in India that have been inspired by values espoused by Mahatma Gandhi.

"It was a tremendous honor to have been nominated and to have been recognized with the award by my colleagues," Hancock said. "I also appreciate the patience of the university community in accommodating my schedule and arranging the Plous lecture after my return from India."

Hancock joined the faculty in 1993 and has focused her research in cultural anthropology on urban southern India. She was promoted to associate professor in 1999, shortly after being selected for the Plous.

The Plous award is given annually to an assistant professor or instructor from the humanities, social sciences, or natural sciences who has demonstrated outstanding performance, or promise of performance, as measured by creative action or contribution to the intellectual life of the college community.