The UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television (TFT) announced the establishment of a scholarship in honor of professor emeritus Howard Suber.
The UCLA Suber Structure and Strategy Scholarship will be given to one TFT student per academic year from either the Producer's Program, the Screenwriting Program, or Cinema and Media Studies — the three areas in which Suber has taught. The amount the student receives will be determined at the time the award is given.
The scholarship was established by TFT alumni Sacha Gervasi and Felicia D. Henderson, who announced a $50,000 gift during a celebration they hosted for Suber's 50th anniversary as a member of UCLA’s faculty. Gervasi is a writer/director who most recently directed the feature film, "Hitchcock." Henderson is a writer/producer whose credits include the hit television series "Soul Food" and "Gossip Girl." During the anniversary celebration, Suber was also honored with a plaque from the City of Los Angeles, presented to him by City Councilmember Paul Koretz.
Suber completed his undergraduate education at Harvard and earned an M.F.A and Ph.D. at UCLA. He helped establish and also chaired TFT’s Critical Studies and Ph.D. programs and the UCLA Producers Program. In the 1970s, he took over a fledgling effort to create a film archive, which led to the UCLA Film and Television Archive, today second in size only to the archive at the Library of Congress. A former associate dean of the school, he is a recipient of UCLA’s Distinguished Teaching Award as well as the prestigious 2013-2014 Dickson Emeriti Professorship Award, the highest honor bestowed upon a retired UCLA faculty member.
Suber has also been a consultant and expert witness to all the major film studios on copyright and creative control issues. At TFT, he continues to teach “Film Structure” and “Strategic Thinking in the Film and Television Industries.” He is the author of the books “The Power of Film” (Michael Wiese Productions, 2006) and “Letters to Young Filmmakers: Creativity and Getting Your Films Made” (Michael Wiese Productions, 2012).
The gift establishing the scholarships is part of the $4.2 billion Centennial Campaign for UCLA, scheduled to conclude in December 2019, during UCLA’s 100th anniversary year.
Learn more about him in the UCLA Newsroom story Teacher, mentor and master of making things happen. The school is raising funds for future Suber scholarship recipients. To contribute, go here.
