CLASS recently lost two, long-serving faculty members – Dr. Victor Mote, professor emeritus of political science, and Dr. Frederick Schiff, associate professor of communications. Both of these individuals were dedicated members of the UH faculty, and will be remembered fondly by their colleagues, students, and the UH community.
Professor Victor Mote
Dr. Victor Mote retired from the department of political science in 2011 after being a part of the faculty for 40 years. He began teaching in the University of Houston’s geography department in 1971. When the geography department was dissolved, he transferred into the department of political science. Dr. Mote’s specialty was Soviet geography, with a particular interest in Siberia, and with expertise on energy and resource issues.
Dr. Mote also served as the political science department’s graduate advisor and director of undergraduate studies. He was repeatedly nominated for teaching awards, winning the Teaching Excellence Award in the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences in 2003. He was a very productive scholar, publishing a number of books and articles over the course of his career. In addition, he won the Research Excellence Award from the College in 1979.
Prior to his career in academia, Dr. Mote served our country in the U.S. Marine Corps. As a college freshman in 1960 at the University of Denver, he joined the Platoon Leaders Class of the U.S. Marine Corps. When he graduated four years later, he became a second lieutenant.
In 1965, Dr. Mote went to Vietnam, and spent over a year in the country as a bridge platoon commander during the Vietnam War.
Following his military service, Dr. Mote earned his M.A. and Ph.D. from the University of Washington.
Dr. Mote is survived by his wife Elvira Sopoeva, stepchildren Toma and George; daughter Vicki Mote Bodwell, son Eliot Mote; grandchildren Fischer, Henry and Wesley Bodwell and Abby, Sedik and Ruby Mote; his brother LTC Kim Mote (USA ret.) and sister, Sharon Mote Franke.
As of this publishing, plans for a memorial service have not yet been announced.
Dr. Frederick Schiff
The Jack J. Valenti School of Communication recently, unexpectedly lost one of its long-time faculty members, Dr. Fred Schiff. Dr. Schiff came to UH over 20 years ago after a successful career as a journalist covering stories for the Associated Press and other outlets all over the world.
As a professional, he worked as a reporter and foreign correspondent for 10 years in Latin America, the Middle East, Europe and the United States. Dr. Schiff won a major federal grant from the National Science Foundation to study of daily newspapers in more than 120 cities.
Most recently, Schiff gained national recognition by winning a Fulbright Fellowship to teach and do research at the prestigious Federal University of Bahia in Salvador, Brazil. He was studying the "hidden" links between the upper classes, oligopoly media corporations and anti-democratic arrangements in mega-cities around the world.
He created and edited the investigative news website, www.WorldInternetNews.org. Schiff was also the director of the Research Institute for Metro-Urban Communication (RIM-Com) and his research has been published in leading scholarly journals.
Dr. Schiff earned his B.A. at Reed College, and his M.A. and Ph.D. in political sociology at University of California – Los Angeles.
“Fred was without question one of the most passionate faculty members you will ever meet, and a tremendous mentor for those wishing to become journalists. A season football ticket holder long before the team was hot, Fred’s dedication to all aspects of the University were inspiring,” says Dr. Temple Northup, director of the Valenti School of Communications.