Professor remembered for his impact
Best in his class · Mark Kann won many teaching awards.
Mark Kann, a professor of political science and history, passed away last Tuesday. He was 68.
His son Simon Kann described him as a “lifelong educator and scholar” who “dedicated his life to educating students and to being a teacher and mentor to them.”
Kann, who received his Ph.D. in political science from the University of Wisconsin–Madison in 1975, joined USC’s political science department that same year. He served as the chair of the political science department from 2001 to 2004 and also taught in the Thematic Option program. He retired after 38 years of teaching at USC.
His long-time colleague Carol Thompson, a retired professor of political science, spoke about his dedication to the Thematic Option program.
“His interest in teaching was to learn from his students,” Thompson said. “Instead of teaching them, he would simply guide them in their exploration of the various theories.”
Over the years, Kann received many teaching awards, including the USC Innovative Teaching Award, once in 1985 and once in 1999. He was selected as one of “The Ten Best Teachers in California”by California Magazine.
“He didn’t just lecture and say this is what happened in this year, this is what happened in this year,” Simon said. “He helped people figure out how to analyze any kind of problem and how to communicate through a variety of persuasive arguments and discussions.”
Associate Vice Provost Robin Romans, Kann’s former student and colleague, said Kann enjoyed using unconventional methods to distill complex political theories down into the context of everyday situations.
Romans recalled Kann’s unique style in teaching a course on civil disobedience. In the hopes they would apply what they had learned to question his authority, he told his students that their third midterm grade would depend on being able to write down the names and phone numbers of all their classmates. Although most of the class obeyed, a couple refused.
“There was a lesson learned, and that was really creative,” Romans said.
In 1990, Kann founded the Center for Excellence in Teaching, acting as its director for three years before returning to work as a faculty member full time. During that time, he also served as associate dean of graduate studies. In 2000, he spearheaded the Academic Culture Initiative to encourage intellectual interaction between students and faculty outside the classroom.
Kann also authored seven books, edited two books and published dozens of articles on democracy, gender and the founding of America.
Kann is survived by Kathy, his wife of 46 years; his son, Simon; daughter-in-law, Melissa; and his grandchildren, Shane, Andrew and Emma.
A memorial service has yet to be announced.