Outstanding Professor Award

Dr. Mary Caputi

Political Science

The academic world is a natural for Dr. Mary Caputi. In 1995, she joined CSULB as an assistant professor in political theory, rising to full professor in 2005. She is also working to establish a cooperative agreement with Ca’ Foscari University of Venice where she served as a visiting professor in 2009. Dr. Caputi designed and teaches “Introduction to Critical Thinking,” a CSULB General Education Foundation course that provides for fundamental learning skills.

With a spotlight on political thought, diversity and feminist theory, Dr. Caputi has published two books and is working on two more. She has earned many honors and awards for her work as an undergraduate advisor, service on numerous committees dealing with a variety of issues from curriculum to scholarly and creative activities, and as chair of the College of Liberal Arts (CLA) Faculty Council.

Dr. Caputi has received the CLA Recognition Award (2002), nine Scholarly and Creative Activities Awards (1999-07), and has presented papers at several international political science conferences. Nationally, the New York native was a 2007-08 member of the Western Political Science Association’s Betty Nesvold Award Committee; a 2006 co-organizer of the Feminist Theory Panels, pre-American Political Science Association; and a 2001-03 executive officer for the Western Political Science Association, Region A.

In the community, Dr. Caputi serves as a volunteer for the Long Beach Rescue Mission and Heifer International. Together with her husband Richard Rawson, a Thai yoga therapist, and her 13-year-old stepdaughter Rahael, Dr. Caputi lives in Seal Beach.