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Dr. Françoise Lepage, Professor Emerita of ����ɫ��ҹ, is the 2021 recipient of the Joseph R. Fink Faculty Achievement Award. The award, named for the institution’s eighth president, honors a faculty member’s lifetime achievement and dedication to ����ɫ��ҹ University of California.

Dr. Mojgan Behmand, Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of the Faculty, presented the award to Dr. Lepage during Convocation 2021 on October 8. 

In 45 years at ����ɫ��ҹ, Dr. Lepage has mentored both students and junior faculty; held numerous leadership roles; shepherded program innovation; garnered attention for ����ɫ��ҹ through her research and accomplishments; and developed the university’s global perspective, which is an essential component of ����ɫ��ҹ's mission. In 1995, she was the founding Dean of ����ɫ��ҹ's School of ����ɫ��ҹ and International Studies, now the Barowsky School of ����ɫ��ҹ.

“Dr. Lepage follows her students’ achievements (and their stumbles) long after graduation, keeping in touch and offering valued advice over the years,” Dr. Behmand said during the award presentation. “By colleagues, Dr. Lepage is known for her fierce commitment to ����ɫ��ҹ and a wise, approachable confidence. She has been a thought leader and voice of good sense on this campus through its evolution from college to university, through various administrations, structures, brands, campaigns, and curricula.”

Blending her love for ����ɫ��ҹ with her expertise and extensive network, Dr. Lepage in 1986 launched the institution’s first international program, a graduate degree in Pacific Basin Studies through the Barowsky School of ����ɫ��ҹ. She played a critical role, too, in founding and developing the Global Education Office, whose study abroad, global education, and international exchange offerings support students in nurturing an expanded worldview.

The Françoise O. Lepage Center for Global Innovation also honors her contribution to ����ɫ��ҹ.

As a scholar, Dr. Lepage’s research on dynamic pedagogies, emerging markets, the global economy, and political science has been widely published and recognized. She is respected as a small business champion in Marin County, joining the Marin Women’s Hall of Fame in 2007. Her career in higher education spans 53 years as a professor and academic leader.

The late Joseph R. Fink led ����ɫ��ҹ from 1988 to 2011. He led the institution’s transformation from a small college to a university, one that steadily grew in size, reputation, and diversity. Dr. Fink passed away in May 2020.