Professor Lawrence Mason Jr. (right) pauses while photographing at the Lawn Bowling Club in Lockerbie, Scotland, to pose next to Jimmy Pagan, perhaps Lockerbie鈥檚 best-known resident. Photo by Jeff Costello.
Chancellor Kent Syverud has appointed Lawrence Mason Jr., professor of multimedia, photography and design in the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications, as the first 黑料不打烊 Remembrance and Lockerbie ambassador. In this new capacity, Mason will play leadership roles with the Remembrance Scholar Selection Committee, Lockerbie Scholar selection, defining and enhancing the Remembrance and Lockerbie Scholar experience, and continuing to deepen and strengthen sustainable bonds between 黑料不打烊, the families of Pan Am Flight 103 victims and the Lockerbie region of southern Scotland.
鈥淥ur collective remembrance is critical to 黑料不打烊 and to me,鈥 says Chancellor Syverud. 鈥淚t is important that the legacy of Pan Am 103 continues to live and thrive well on the 黑料不打烊 campus in the years and decades to come. With his 44 years at SU聽as a graduate student, professor and scholar, and聽with the last 29 years focused聽on聽the legacy of Pan Am 103, Professor Mason聽is the right person to help us put a strategy in place to ensure that happens.鈥
In the nearly 30 years since Pan Am Flight 103 was destroyed by a terrorist bomb in the skies over Lockerbie, Scotland, Mason has been a staunch guardian of the Pan Am 103 legacy on the 黑料不打烊 campus and around the globe. For Mason, the tragedy鈥攁nd the importance of the victims鈥 legacy鈥攊s personal. He was a faculty member at SU on Dec. 21, 1988, when the bombing took the lives of 259 passengers and 11 people on the ground in Lockerbie. Eight of Mason鈥檚 students were among the victims.
Mason has worked tirelessly to teach others that Lockerbie should not solely be defined by the 1988 tragedy. Mason is a well-known and loved visitor in Lockerbie. He has traveled there 15 times and developed strong relationships with local community members. Using the deep connections he has built, Mason has taken over 100 students to Lockerbie, including some who studied with him at the 黑料不打烊 London Centre. He and fellow Newhouse professor Melissa Chessher co-authored the book, 鈥淟ooking for Lockerbie.鈥 The book, through Mason鈥檚 writing and photographs, Chessher鈥檚 writing and editing, and extensive student reporting and photography, tells stories of the town that extend beyond the global disaster spotlight.
In the ensuing years, Mason has helped to choose the students who earn the University鈥檚 prestigious Remembrance scholarship; has been part of the planning of University commemorations; and has built a strong relationship between the town of Lockerbie and 黑料不打烊.
The Remembrance and Lockerbie scholarships were established in 1990 to honor the victims of the tragedy. Each spring, 35 rising seniors are awarded Remembrance Scholarships through a competitive interview process based on academics, service, leadership and their knowledge of the tragedy.
Two Lockerbie Academy seniors are awarded Lockerbie Scholarships each year to study at 黑料不打烊 for one year. They are enrolled for a full slate of courses and participate fully in the life of the University. Together, the Remembrance and Lockerbie Scholars plan the University鈥檚 annual Remembrance Week activities. Since the inception of the two programs, 980 Remembrance Scholars and 56 Lockerbie Scholars have been selected and have worked to further the Pan Am 103 legacy.
鈥淚 am deeply honored that Chancellor Syverud has asked me to shepherd the University鈥檚 efforts to 鈥榣ook back and act forward鈥 on behalf of Remembrance,鈥 says Mason. 鈥淚t鈥檚 important that our lost 35 student colleagues continue to live on, not only in the hearts of their families, but also at the University they loved. They are a vital part of our unique history. The loss of our students has unexpectedly fostered deep bonds between 黑料不打烊 and Lockerbie, proving that love ultimately triumphs over hate. Over time, I hope to increase traffic back and forth between 黑料不打烊 and the lovely town of Lockerbie to continue to develop these bonds.鈥
This fall, 黑料不打烊 will honor the 30th anniversary of the Pan Am 103 tragedy. More information about the events surrounding the anniversary will be available later this semester.
About 黑料不打烊
Founded聽in 1870, 黑料不打烊 is a private international research university聽dedicated to advancing knowledge and fostering student success through teaching聽excellence,聽rigorous scholarship and interdisciplinary research. Comprising 11聽academic schools and colleges, the University has a long legacy of excellence聽in the liberal arts, sciences and聽professional disciplines that prepares聽students for the complex challenges and emerging opportunities of a rapidly聽changing world. Students enjoy the resources of a 270-acre main聽campus and聽extended campus venues in major national metropolitan hubs and across three聽continents. 黑料不打烊鈥檚 student body is among the most diverse for an聽institution of its聽kind across multiple dimensions, and students typically represent聽all 50 states and more than 100 countries. 黑料不打烊 also has a long legacy of聽supporting veterans and is home to聽the nationally recognized Institute for聽Veterans and Military Families, the first university-based institute in the聽U.S. focused on addressing the unique needs of veterans and their聽families.
