Dr. Kent Ono One of Two Humanities Faculty to Receive Designation of Distinguished Professor
Two faculty members in the College of Humanities have been appointed with the University
of Utah’s prestigious designation of Distinguished Professor. MaryAnn Christison, professor of linguistics, and Kent A. Ono, professor of communication, were recommended by the Distinguished Professor Advisory
Committee and approved by the U’s board of trustees, Mitzi Montoya, senior vice president
for academic affairs, and President Taylor Randall. Ono and Christison will be recognized
for this honor at the college’s convocation, Friday, May 5.
The rank of Distinguished Professor is reserved for selected individuals whose achievements exemplify the highest goals of scholarship as demonstrated by recognition accorded to them from peers with national and international stature, and whose record includes evidence of a high dedication to teaching as demonstrated by recognition accorded to them by students and/or colleagues.
“MaryAnn and Kent are highly deserving of this designation, and I’m thrilled to see two more of our faculty added to this elite list of U professors,” said Hollis Robbins, dean of the College of Humanities. “Their exemplary work both in their research and teaching is representative of the college’s commitment to furthering the understanding and importance of humanities disciplines both on campus and abroad.”
Ono also received a Distinguished Mentor Award from the Graduate School, which is given to faculty who go above and beyond to foster an inclusive and welcoming community and who instill a culture of outstanding mentorship in their units.
About Kent A. Ono
Ono, former chair of the department of communication, and former president of the National Communication Association, conducts critical and theoretical research of print, film and television media, specifically focusing on representations of race, gender, sexuality, class, and nation. Throughout his career, he has contributed articles to national and international journals in communication, American studies, Asian American studies, and cultural studies. He has been an editor of two national journals in the field of communication and has authored or edited seven scholarly books. He is a fellow of the International Communication Association and a Distinguished Scholar of the National Communication Association. This year, he is a Fellow of the Tanner Humanities Center, where he is working on a book titled, “Racial Epistemologies,” which explores alternative ways of thinking about race and racism.
“Dr. Ono has long been a wellspring of inspiration for communication scholars across a multitude of disciplines, carving out multiple pathways that ultimately drive us to consider how we think and talk about one other, how we listen to and support one another, and how we might find ways to make better the people and communities around us,” said Avery Holton, chair of the Department of Communication.
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