diff --git a/app/models/lionpath/lionpath_committee.rb b/app/models/lionpath/lionpath_committee.rb
index 395d846b2..83c1ece4e 100644
--- a/app/models/lionpath/lionpath_committee.rb
+++ b/app/models/lionpath/lionpath_committee.rb
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ def self.external_ids
   private
 
     def committee_member_update(committee_member, row, committee_role)
-      committee_member.update committee_member_attrs(row, committee_role) unless
+      committee_member.update! committee_member_attrs(row, committee_role) unless
           committee_member.submission.status_behavior.beyond_waiting_for_final_submission_response_rejected?
     end
 
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@ def committee_member_attrs(row, committee_role)
     end
 
     def special_member?(row)
-      !row['Special Member First Name'].nil? && !row['Special Member Last Name'].nil?
+      row['Special Member First Name'].present? && row['Special Member Last Name'].present?
     end
 
     def submission(row)
diff --git a/spec/models/lionpath/lionpath_committee_spec.rb b/spec/models/lionpath/lionpath_committee_spec.rb
index a6464feaf..92fa76534 100644
--- a/spec/models/lionpath/lionpath_committee_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/models/lionpath/lionpath_committee_spec.rb
@@ -14,7 +14,8 @@
   let(:row) do
     { 'Access ID' => 'abc123', 'Last Name' => 'Tester', 'First Name' => 'Test', 'Role' => 'C',
       'Committee' => 'DOCCM', 'Committee Long Descr' => 'Chair of Committee', 'Student ID' => '999999999',
-      'Student Campus ID' => 'def123', 'Suprvsr Nbr' => '932352541' }
+      'Student Campus ID' => 'def123', 'Suprvsr Nbr' => '932352541', 'Special Member First Name' => '',
+      'Special Member Last Name' => '' }
   end
 
   context "when author's submission's year is before 2021" do
@@ -110,7 +111,8 @@
     let(:row2) do
       { 'Access ID' => 'mgc25', 'Last Name' => 'Committee', 'First Name' => 'Member', 'Role' => 'S',
         'Committee' => 'DOCCM', 'Committee Long Descr' => 'Special Member', 'Student ID' => '999999999',
-        'Student Campus ID' => 'def123', 'Suprvsr Nbr' => '932352541' }
+        'Student Campus ID' => 'def123', 'Suprvsr Nbr' => '932352541', 'Special Member First Name' => 'Special',
+        'Special Member Last Name' => 'Person' }
     end
 
     context 'when the committee member does not yet exist in the db' do
@@ -118,6 +120,7 @@
         expect { lionpath_committee.import(row2) }.to change { submission.committee_members.count }.by 1
         expect(submission.committee_members.last.access_id).to eq 'mgc25'
         expect(submission.committee_members.last.external_to_psu_id).to eq 'mgc25'
+        expect(submission.committee_members.last.name).to eq 'Special Person'
       end
     end