1. Service Quality: Definition, Importance and Implementation

MacArthur Fellowship

This national fellowship, often referred to as a “genius grant,” was established in 1981 and is given annually to those who “show exceptional merit and promise for continued and enhanced creative work.”

National Academy of Sciences

Established in 1863, the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) is an honorary society engaged in scientific and engineering research that is dedicated to promoting science and technology for the welfare of society. The academy is mandated by Congress to advise the federal government on scientific and technical matters.

National Humanities Medal

The National Humanities Medal honors individuals or groups whose work has deepened the nation's understanding of the humanities and broadened its citizens' engagement with history, literature, languages, philosophy, and other humanities subjects.

National Medal of Science

The National Medal of Science, the nation’s highest scientific honor, is a presidential award given to individuals “deserving of special recognition by reason of their outstanding contributions to knowledge in the physical, biological, mathematical, or engineering sciences.” In 1980, this recognition was expanded to include the social and behavioral sciences.

Nobel Prize

Each fall, the Nobel Foundation in Sweden announces the world’s most prestigious scientific awards: the Nobel Prizes. Since H&S was established in 1948, 13 faculty members have won prizes in physics, chemistry, and economics. Five more laureates have ties to the school.

Pulitzer Prize

This annual award is the nation’s highest honor in newspaper and online journalism, literature, and musical composition. Established in 1904, the prize is administered by Columbia Graduate School of Journalism.

3. Problems of Urban Life

Life in US cities today is certainly complex. On the one hand, many US cities are vibrant places, filled with museums and other cultural attractions, nightclubs, theaters, and restaurants and populated by people from many walks of life and from varied racial and ethnic and national backgrounds. Many college graduates flock to cities, not only for their employment opportunities but also for their many activities and the sheer excitement of living in a metropolis.
On the other hand, many US cities are also filled with abject poverty, filthy and dilapidated housing, high crime rates, traffic gridlock, and dirty air. Many Americans would live nowhere but a city, and many would live anywhere but a city. Cities arouse strong opinions, pro and con, because there are many things both to like and to dislike about cities.
By definition, cities consist of very large numbers of people living in a relatively small amount of space. Some of these people have a good deal of money, but many people, and in some cities most people, have very little money. Cities must provide many kinds of services for all their residents, and certain additional services for their poorer residents. These basic facts of city life make for common sets of problems affecting cities throughout the nation, albeit to varying degrees, with some cities less able than others to address these problems. This section examines several of these problems.