USC held a Zoom conference Friday morning to mourn the loss of USC divisional dean for the life sciences Jan Amend who passed away earlier this week.
Kristin Howard, the clinical instructor of psychiatry and the behavioral sciences, offered her services to students and anyone directly affected by Amend’s passing. Howard expressed her condolences to those present.
“I am so sorry for your loss, he had a profound impact on everyone. I want to be here to provide any support for the students,” she said.
Kenneth Nealson, a professor emeritus of earth sciences who was part of the open audience, said hearing the news was “one of the true shocks of [his] life.”
Nealson reflected on his relationship with Amend, stating as a faculty member they used to “go grab coffee” together and “loved talking about science and their students.”
William Berelson, a professor of earth sciences, environmental studies and spatial sciences who was also on the call, believed that Amend had “something special” in him that differentiated himself from others.
“As a faculty when I think of Jan’s success in mentoring, you need to have a ‘magic sauce’ and not everyone has this, but Jan has [...] an element of true kindness and an amazing touch to reach and guide people,” Berelson said.
Dr. Heidi Smith Parker touched on Amend’s selfless personality which had a lasting impact on his peers and students.
“Jan pulled for the young faculty and wanted them to become stars,” Parker said.
Parker said that Amend was positive in his interactions with people and always acknowledged people’s strengths and what they excelled at. “He was a joy to work with, he was always laughing and making jokes, and I am just shocked just like everyone else.”
Annenberg Media has removed a source from this story due to the nature of their position within clinical services.