Fauci set to receive award from university
Dr. Anthony Fauci is an infectious disease expert and one of the most-heard voices in the battle against COVID-19. And though he has been a frequent guest on TV news shows, he’s not a journalist.
But next week, San Jose State will present him with the William Randolph Hearst Award, an honor that usually has gone to someone in the news business. Fauci will join the ranks of nationally known journalists like Dan Rather, Jim Acosta, Sara Sidener and Jose Antonio Vargas, among many others.
So why would San Jose State’s School of Journalism and Mass Communication elevate Fauci’s stature — or denigrate his reputation — by putting him on par with the rest of us ink-stained wretches? The last two words in the school’s name says it all: “mass communication.” Communicating to the masses is something Fauci has been doing all year.
SJSU cited public opinion sur
veys that give Fauci top marks as a medical expert Americans seek out for timely and reliable information about the virus, adding to his reputation for professional public communication as director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. SJSU professor Bob Rucker, who coordinates the annual award, said Fauci was the unanimous choice of the faculty because Americans prioritized knowing what his thoughts were to understand the importance of the COVID-19 crisis.
“It is great to hear so many people say our announcement comes at the perfect time when the nation is searching for ways to come together,” Rucker said in an email. “We sincerely hope in the future Dr. Fauci will visit San Jose State University when it is safe again to gather, and let us start the nationwide standing ovation for public service he has earned in 2020.”
The award is being presented over Zoom on Tuesday at noon. Space is limited, and registration is required. You can get more information, including a link to register, at go.sjsu.edu/hearst-award-fauci.
ARTISTS EXPLORE 2020 IS
SUES >> It’s not surprising that this singularly unusual year — from effects of the COVID-19 pandemic to the Black Lives Matter protests and the presidential election — would produce a flood of artwork addressing 2020’s various issues.
Enter “Holding the Moment,” the city of San Jose’s new exhibition at the Mineta San Jose International Airport that will feature 96 pieces by 77 local artists reflecting on issues including isolation, protest, healing, nature and technology. The art — which is displayed in cases on large fine art boards in Terminal B near baggage claim — is being serialized. The first batch is on display through Dec. 5, with new work being installed about every five weeks until the end of May.
Each piece that was selected — out of more than 300 submissions — received a $2,500 prize.
“This public art project provides a critical opportunity to local artists at a time when they need it most,” Public Art Director Michael Ogilvie said. “There is a preciousness to the moment — even in dire times such as now — that our artists remind us to empathize and hold onto, for in appreciation of this moment there is hope and where there is hope there can be recovery.”
Of course, many of us have no reason to go anywhere near the airport these days, so you can also view the art and read artist statements online at sanjoseca.gov/HoldingTheMomentSJ.