Christopher Kutz
Professor of Law
Professor Christopher Kutz is the C. William Maxeiner Distinguished Professor of Law and teaches in the Jurisprudence and Social Policy program. His work focuses on moral, political and legal philosophy, including the foundations of criminal, international, and constitutional law as well as the ethics and laws of war. In addition, he has written on issues of the metaphysics of criminal responsibility, social welfare obligations, national responsibilities to mitigate climate change, humanitarian ethics, and political legitimacy. Professor Kutz also helped lead the development and implementation of a new undergraduate minor program in Politics, Philosophy and Law, which is aimed particularly at first-generation college students with a public service orientation.
Professor Kutz has served the Senate and the University tirelessly and effectively. As his nominators aver, “The range and depth of his contributions are remarkable. He consistently brings excellent judgment, openness to all perspectives, and respect for others to this work.”
He has served in myriad roles, on both faculty committees and in administrative positions, both on campus and system-wide:
- Committee on Prizes (2003-05);
- Chair of the Committee on Academic Freedom; and as vice-chair (2005-08);
- Chair of the Berkeley Division of the Academic Senate (2009-10), returning to serve again as vice-chair and systemwide representative in 2016-18;
- Berkeley representative on the systemwide Task Force on Senate Membership (2009-11);
- Committee on Privilege and Tenure (2012-15), joining the systemwide committee in 2015-16;
- Committee on Demonstrations and Student Actions; member, vice-chair, and chair (2019-2023).
Outside the Senate proper, Kutz has been a member of the Chancellor’s Committee on Intercollegiate Athletics; the University Athletics Board; the UCPD Police Review Board; the Senate Task Force on University-Industry Partnerships; the Senate-Administrative Working Group on the Budget; the Berkeley Diversity Research Initiative; the Townsend Center Selection Committee; the Tanner Lectures Committee; and the Howison Lectures Committee.
Mary Ann Smart
Professor of Music
Mary Ann Smart is a professor in the Department of Music who studies the social and political dimensions of European music, with a focus on opera and song. She is the author of award-winning books, including on representations of gender and sexuality in opera, and her service at Berkeley has been central to the functioning of the Academic Senate and also to the Music Department.
Professor Smart has served the campus with distinction in many roles, including the following:
- Committee on Budget and Interdepartmental Relations (BIR, 2017-19) and as Chair in 2019-20
- Committee on Courses of Instruction (COCI, 2002-03)
- Committee on Research (COR, 2005-07)
- Systemwide Editorial Committee of the University of California Press (2007-10, Chair 2009-10)
- CEP (2012-14)
- Divisional Council; as an elected member from 2014-16. Vice Chair from 2021-22 and finally Chair from 2022-23, where she helped the campus navigate the UAW strike and other major challenges.
In addition to the above, Smart has served in virtually every role in the Music Department. Professor Emily Zazulia, who nominated Professor Smart for this award, described how Professor Smart “has remained committed to the students in our department ... not always taking the full course relief to which she was entitled, and remaining one of our most dedicated and beloved PhD advisors.”