UT Dallas > Endowed Chairs and Professorships > Endowments

Endowments

Harry W. Bass Jr. School of Arts, Humanities, and Technology

Chair of Art and Aesthetic Studies

Mrs. Eugene McDermott’s donation created the chair in August 2000. The chair supports the scholarly, educational, artistic, university and community services activities.

Arts and Humanities Chair

The chair was created in 2004 by Mrs. Eugene McDermott to support the scholarly, educational and research activities of an internationally recognized scholar in the area of art and humanities.

Arts and Humanities Distinguished Chair

The Arts and Humanities Distinguished Chair was created in 2004 by Mrs. Eugene McDermott to support the scholarly, educational and research activities of an internationally recognized scholar in the area of art and humanities.

Fellow, Miriam Lewis Barnett Chair

The Miriam Lewis Barnett Chair for studies related to the Holocaust, genocide and human rights was established in 2020 by Mitchell L. and Miriam “Mimi” Lewis Barnett. The Barnett family’s history of support for Holocaust remembrance began with Mimi Barnett’s parents, Leah and Paul Lewis, who began promoting the cause after the end of World War II. In 2002 the couple established the Ackerman Center for Holocaust Studies’ first endowed faculty position, the Leah and Paul Lewis Chair of Holocaust Studies. In 2018 they endowed the Mitchell L. and Miriam Lewis Barnett Lecture Series as part of the Annual Scholars’ Conference on the Holocaust and the Churches.

Richard R. Brettell Distinguished University Chair

The Edith O’Donnell Institute of Art History was established by a gift of $17 million from Edith O’Donnell in 2014. This gift was supplemented with $10 million from the Texas Research Incentive Program, yielding aggregate endowments of $27 million with which the institute can support faculty and student research and collaborations with institutions in the region and around the world in the promotion of art historical scholarship. The institute is housed in the Edith O’Donnell Arts and Technology Building on the UT Dallas campus and also maintains facilities in the Dallas Museum of Art.

Hillel A. Feinberg Distinguished Chair of Holocaust Studies

Hillel A. Feinberg and Mr. and Mrs. John H. Massey established the endowed position in November 2007. The position supports the scholarly, educational and community outreach activities of an internationally recognized scholar of Holocaust studies, including related aspects of European and American history. This includes literature, culture and politics that form the context of the Holocaust.

Leah and Paul Lewis Chair of Holocaust Studies

The chair was endowed in honor of Leah and Paul Lewis by their daughter and son-in-law, Miriam Lewis Barnett and Mitchell Barnett, with the support of many family members, friends and admirers of their path-breaking work to raise awareness about the Holocaust. Over more than three decades, Mr. and Mrs. Lewis built more than 15 memorials dedicated to the victims of the Holocaust in synagogues, centers and museums throughout the United States. In recognition of their leadership, then-President Jimmy Carter appointed Paul Lewis to the United States Holocaust Memorial Commission in 1976. Leah Lewis died in 1981 and Paul Lewis in 1984. The chair was created in May 2003. The position supports the work of a scholar who is internationally recognized in Holocaust studies and the related aspects of Jewish history, literature and culture.

Edith O’Donnell Distinguished Chair

In 2014 Edith O’Donnell established the Edith O’Donnell Institute of Art History with a $17 million lead gift, which also endowed a distinguished chair for the director of the institute and four additional O’Donnell distinguished chairs. The Edith O’Donnell Distinguished Chair #3 is intended to focus on innovations in art history.

Stan and Barbara Rabin Distinguished Professor in Holocaust Studies

In 2006 Edward and Wilhelmina Ackerman made the lead gift to transform the Holocaust Studies Program into the Ackerman Center for Holocaust Studies. The following year, a donation from the Edward and Wilhelmina Ackerman Foundation established the Stan and Barbara Rabin Distinguished Professor in Holocaust Studies. The professorship supports the scholarly, educational and community outreach activities of an internationally recognized scholar of Holocaust studies and the related aspects of European and American history, including literature, culture and politics that form the context of the Holocaust.

Ashbel Smith Professor

The University of Texas at Dallas supports the Ashbel Smith Professorship. Dr. Ashbel Smith was the first president of the UT System Board of Regents. He had a long and distinguished career in medicine, education and public service. During his term on the Board of Regents, Smith was dedicated to recruiting the best faculty members available and to developing a curriculum befitting a “university of the first class.” Smith became known as both the “father of Texas medicine” and the “father of The University of Texas.”

Marvin and Kathleen Stone Distinguished Professor of Humanities in Medicine and Science

Dr. Marvin Stone, chief emeritus of hematology and oncology at Baylor University Medical Center in Dallas and a clinical professor in the Harry W. Bass Jr. School of Arts, Humanities, and Technology, along with his wife, Kathy, created the Marvin and Kathleen Stone Distinguished Professorship of Humanities in Medicine and Science in 2019. The position is intended to grow the impact of the Center for Values in Medicine, Science, and Technology as it relates to how values, culture and humanities interact with medicine and science. Tsou was appointed in August 2022.

Anne Stark Watson and Chester Watson History Distinguished Professor

Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence Kuhlken provided the funds for the position in September 1997. The Kuhlkens created the position to honor the memory of Mrs. Kuhlken’s parents, Anne Stark Watson and Chester Watson. The professorship was designed to promote study of U.S. history and the history of Texas and the Southwest.

School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences

Nelle C. Johnston Chair in Communication Disorders in Children

In July 1991, the Foundation for Callier Center and Communication Disorders and various donors established the chair in honor of Nelle C. Johnston, who for more than 40 years, devoted her life and talents to assisting children with hearing problems, and to establishing, guiding and aiding the Callier Center in the fields of communication disorders.

Fellow, Eugene McDermott Distinguished Professor

The McDermott Professorships were established in August 2017, funded by an anonymous gift, with the goal of providing early career support and recognition to faculty members who have established extraordinary records of research productivity, teaching excellence, and university service, and who show promise of being leaders of the UT Dallas faculty in the future.

Meadows Foundation Chair in Behavioral and Brain Sciences

Al and Virginia Meadows were devoted to their family. They entrusted the Foundation’s governance to them and public-spirited advisors in their wish to share their joy of giving. This opportunity and responsibility has been passed down through three generations and across seven branches of the Meadows family.

Ludwig A. Michael, MD Callier Center Executive Directorship

The Ludwig A. Michael MD Callier Center Executive Directorship pays tribute to Michael for his outstanding service as a trustee and former president of the Foundation for the Callier Center and Communication Disorders. The directorship was established through an initial gift from the Communities Foundation of Texas. Michael was a prominent Dallas otolaryngologist and played a pivotal role in the Callier Center’s early years. Michael joined the staff of Baylor University Medical Center, where he served two terms as chief of otolaryngology in the 1960s and 1970s. He also served on the clinical faculty of UT Southwestern Medical Center for more than 50 years. He died in 2015.

Aage and Margareta Møller Professor

UT Dallas Professor Aage R. Møller and his wife, Dr. Margareta Møller, established the professorship in 2008 to support the research activities of a faculty member in the School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences.

Bert Moore Chair in BrainHealth

Created by the UT Dallas Center for BrainHealth, the Bert Moore Chair in BrainHealth will support the chairholder’s research activities in clinical brain science. Dr. Bert Moore was the dean of the UT Dallas School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences (BBS) for 26 years. Under Moore’s leadership, the school’s enrollment grew from 387 to 2,427, the number of faculty members more than doubled and the number of degree programs increased from five to 13.

Robinson Family Professor

The chair was established anonymously in 2010 to honor UT System Chancellor Francisco G. Cigarroa, and to support the research and scholarly activities of the director of the Center for Children and Families.

Ashbel Smith Professor

The University of Texas at Dallas supports the Ashbel Smith Professorship. Dr. Ashbel Smith was the first president of the UT System Board of Regents. He had a long and distinguished career in medicine, education and public service. During his term on the Board of Regents, Smith was dedicated to recruiting the best faculty members available and to developing a curriculum befitting a “university of the first class.” Smith became known as both the “father of Texas medicine” and the “father of The University of Texas.”

Howard B. and Lois C. Wolf Professor for Pediatric Hearing

Mr. and Mrs. Howard B. Wolf established the chair in January 2007 to support and increase research involving hearing disorders in infants, toddlers and young children at the Callier Center for Communication Disorders at the University.

School of Economic, Political and Policy Sciences

Lloyd V. Berkner Professor

The Berkner Professorship is funded from the Excellence in Education Foundation endowment, which supports excellence at UT Dallas.

Robert E. Holmes Jr. Professor

Robert E. Holmes Jr. created the chair in August 2014. The professorship supports the research and scholarly activities of the chair holder.

John F. Kain Professor of Economics

Mary Fan Kain created the chair in March 2005 to honor her late husband, Dr. John Forrest Kain, who held the Cecil Green Chair for Science in Society at UT Dallas. The professorship supports the research and scholarly activities of the chair holder in the field of economics.

Vibhooti Shukla Professor of Economics and Political Economy

The professorship was established by Satchit Srinivasan in memory of his wife, a political economy professor who taught at UT Dallas from 1987 to 1992. The endowment is intended to advance the research of an outstanding scholar in the fields of economics and/or political economy.

Ashbel Smith Professor

The University of Texas at Dallas supports the Ashbel Smith Professorship. Dr. Ashbel Smith was the first president of the UT System Board of Regents. He had a long and distinguished career in medicine, education and public service. During his term on the Board of Regents, Smith was dedicated to recruiting the best faculty members available and to developing a curriculum befitting a “university of the first class.” Smith became known as both the “father of Texas medicine” and the “father of The University of Texas.”

Erik Jonsson School of Engineering and Computer Science

Louis Beecherl Jr. Chair

The chair was established anonymously in 2009 to support the research and scholarly activities of the chairholder in the Erik Jonsson School of Engineering and Computer Science.

Louis Beecherl Jr. Distinguished Professor

An anonymous donor established the professorship in 2009 to support the research and scholarly activities of a faculty member in the Erik Jonsson School of Engineering and Computer Science.

Distinguished Chair in Engineering

In 2011, the chair was created anonymously to support the research and scholarly activities of the chairholder in the Erik Jonsson School of Engineering and Computer Science.

Distinguished Professor in Engineering

This endowment was established anonymously in 2011 to support the research and scholarly activities of a faculty member to benefit the Erik Jonsson School of Engineering and Computer Science.

Cecil H. and Ida Green Chair in Systems Biology Science

The legacy of Cecil H. and Ida Green at The University of Texas at Dallas was to establish in Dallas a world-class cohort of faculty and students in the new domain of integrated, interdisciplinary biomedical research. The resources and talents of UT Dallas and UT Southwestern are combined under the guidance of the two institutions’ Green Centers. Endowments were generated for faculty members whose research expertise lies at one of the interfaces between biomedical science and physical, mathematical, computational or engineering science, emphasizing, in particular, research that will create synergy with research at UT Southwestern. The chair was established in 1995.

Cecil H. and Ida Green Distinguished Chair in Systems Biology Science

The legacy of Cecil H. and Ida Green at The University of Texas at Dallas was to establish in Dallas a world-class cohort of faculty and students in the new domain of integrated interdisciplinary biomedical research. The resources and talents of UT Dallas and UT Southwestern are combined under the support and guidance of the two institutions’ Green Centers. Endowments were generated for faculty members whose research expertise lies at one of the interfaces between biomedical science and physical, mathematical, computational or engineering science, emphasizing in particular research that will create synergy with research at UT Southwestern. This chair was established in 2005. Zhang was appointed as its first holder in 2007.

Cecil H. and Ida Green Professor in Systems Biology Science

The legacy of Cecil H. and Ida Green at The University of Texas at Dallas was to establish in Dallas a world-class cohort of faculty and students in the new domain of integrated, interdisciplinary biomedical research. The resources and talents of UT Dallas and UT Southwestern are combined under the guidance of the two institutions’ Green Centers. Endowments were generated for faculty members whose research expertise lies at one of the interfaces between biomedical science and physical, mathematical, computational or engineering science, emphasizing, in particular, research that will create synergy with research at UT Southwestern. The chair was established in 1995.

Erik Jonsson Distinguished Professor

This chair was established anonymously in 2011 to support the research and scholarly activities of a faculty member to benefit the Erik Jonsson School of Engineering and Computer Science.

Jonsson School Chair

The chair was established anonymously to support the research and scholarly activities of a faculty member in the Erik Jonsson School of Engineering and Computer Science.

Jonsson School Distinguished Chair

This chair was established anonymously in August 2011 to support the research and scholarly activities of a faculty member to benefit the Erik Jonsson School of Engineering and Computer Science.

Jonsson School Distinguished Professor

Nosratinia has held this chair since September 2011, soon after it was established anonymously to support the research and scholarly activities of a faculty member to benefit the Erik Jonsson School of Engineering and Computer Science.

Eugene McDermott Distinguished Professor

The McDermott Professorships were established in August 2017, funded by an anonymous gift, with the goal of providing early career support and recognition to faculty members who have established extraordinary records of research productivity, teaching excellence and university service, and who show promise of being leaders of the UT Dallas faculty in the future.

Fellow, Eugene McDermott Distinguished Professor

The McDermott Professorships were established in August 2017, funded by an anonymous gift, with the goal of providing early career support and recognition to faculty members who have established extraordinary records of research productivity, teaching excellence, and university service, and who show promise of being leaders of the UT Dallas faculty in the future.

Research Initiation Chair

This non-endowed faculty position is supported by the Erik Jonsson School of Engineering and Computer Science.

Ashbel Smith Professor

The University of Texas at Dallas supports the Ashbel Smith Professorship. Dr. Ashbel Smith was the first president of the UT System Board of Regents. He had a long and distinguished career in medicine, education and public service. During his term on the Board of Regents, Smith was dedicated to recruiting the best faculty members available and to developing a curriculum befitting a “university of the first class.” Smith became known as both the “father of Texas medicine” and the “father of The University of Texas.”

Texas Instruments Distinguished University Chair

Established in April 2006, the chair was made possible through a gift from Texas Instruments and an anonymous donor to support research and scholarly activities in the Erik Jonsson School of Engineering and Computer Sciences.

Texas Instruments Distinguished University Chair in Nanoelectronics

Established in 2007, the chair was made possible by the Texas Nanoelectronics Research Superiority Initiative, which is a joint venture between the Texas Emerging Technology Fund, The University of Texas System, UT Dallas, UT Austin, UT Arlington and private industry.

James Von Ehr Distinguished Chair in Science and Technology

The James Von Ehr Distinguished Chair in Science and Technology was a gift from James Von Ehr, who received a master’s degree from the UT Dallas School of Natural Sciences and Mathematics in 1981. He is founder and CEO of Zyvex Labs and was honored by the University as a Distinguished Alumnus in 2004. He has served on numerous UT Dallas boards, including the Development Board, where he was chairman from 2005 to 2010. Von Ehr was a member of the campaign council for the Realize the Vision: The Campaign for Tier One and Beyond fundraising effort.

Naveen Jindal School of Management

George and Fonsa Brody Distinguished Professor in Management

The George and Fonsa Brody Charitable Fund established the George and Fonsa Brody Professorship in Management in 2017. The professorship supports the research and scholarly activities of the holder in the Naveen Jindal School of Management.

Caruth Chair

The Hillcrest Foundation, founded by Mrs. W. W. Caruth, Sr., created the chair in December 1988 to honor the Caruth family by supporting a distinguished professor with a national or international reputation to deliver superior educational guidance for future leaders of the state.

Andrew R. Cecil Chair in Applied Ethics

The Hillcrest Foundation, founded by Mrs. W. W. Caruth, Sr., created the chair in October 1990. The chair honors Dr. Andrew R. Cecil, Distinguished Scholar in Residence at UT Dallas, for 50 years of work in education and for his years of dedicated service at the Southwestern Legal Foundation and to the University. The chair supports an outstanding scholar who can perpetuate Dr. Cecil’s commitment to the examination and teaching of the basic principles of ethics.

Dallas World Salute Distinguished Professor in Global Strategy

The Dallas World Salute Fund of Communities Foundation of Texas created the professorship in May 2006. The position supports the research and scholarly activities of a distinguished professor in global strategy in the Naveen Jindal School of Management.

Lars Magnus Ericsson Chair

Ericsson Inc. created the endowment to support the research and scholarly activities of the holder in the Naveen Jindal School of Management.

O. P. Jindal Distinguished Chair

Naveen Jindal established the chair in September 2012 to support the research and scholarly activities of the chair-holder in the Naveen Jindal School of Management.

Naveen Jindal School Advisory Council Chair

Communities Foundation of Texas established the Naveen Jindal School Advisory Council Chair in April 2010. The chair supports the research and scholarly activities of the holder in the Naveen Jindal School of Management.

Constantine Konstans Chair

This endowment was created by The Catholic Foundation on behalf of the Ruth and Ray Hemmig Fund in May 2014 in honor of a longtime UT Dallas professor, Dr. Constantine “Connie” Konstans, to support education in accounting and corporate governance.

Stan Liebowitz Distinguished Professor

The professorship was established in 2019 by Dr. Stan Liebowitz, the Ashbel Smith Professor of finance and managerial economics in the Naveen Jindal School of Management at UT Dallas. He is also co-director of the Center for the Analysis of Property Rights and Innovation. The faculty member who holds the Stan Liebowitz Distinguished Professorship shall have a record of high scholarly achievement in economics with an appreciation of markets.

Eugene McDermott Distinguished Chair

The estate of Eugene McDermott created the chair in September 1973. The chair was created as enduring support to The University of Texas at Dallas.

Susan C. and H. Ronald Nash Chair

Distinguished alumnus H. Ronald Nash and his wife, Susan C. Nash, established the professorship in the Naveen Jindal School of Management in 2011.

Dr. Joseph Picken Chair in Innovation and Entrepreneurship

Dr. Joseph C. Picken founded and played a major role in developing the Naveen Jindal School of Management’s academic program in innovation and entrepreneurship and the University’s award-winning Institute for Innovation and Entrepreneurship. As a parting gift to the school upon his retirement in December 2018, Picken contributed funds to endow this distinguished professorship named in his honor.

Ashbel Smith Professor

The University of Texas at Dallas supports the Ashbel Smith Professorship. Dr. Ashbel Smith was the first president of the UT System Board of Regents. He had a long and distinguished career in medicine, education and public service. During his term on the Board of Regents, Smith was dedicated to recruiting the best faculty members available and to developing a curriculum befitting a “university of the first class.” Smith became known as both the “father of Texas medicine” and the “father of The University of Texas.”

School of Natural Sciences and Mathematics

Cecil H. and Ida Green Chair in Systems Biology Science

The legacy of Cecil H. and Ida Green at The University of Texas at Dallas was to establish in Dallas a world-class cohort of faculty and students in the new domain of integrated interdisciplinary biomedical research. The Cecil Green estate created the chair.

Fellow, Dean and Cindy Sherry Professor in Chemistry 

In 2022, Dr. A. Dean Sherry and his wife, Dr. Cynthia Sherry BS’78, established the Dean and Cindy Sherry Professorship in Chemistry, an endowment that will support the chemistry and biochemistry research-enhancing activities of the professorship holder. 

Cecil H. and Ida M. Green Chair in Geophysics

The estate of Cecil H. and Ida Green created the position. Their legacy at The University of Texas at Dallas was to establish in Dallas a world-class cohort of faculty and students in the new domain of integrated interdisciplinary biomedical research. The resources and talents of UT Dallas and UT Southwestern are combined under the guidance of the two institutions’ Green Centers. Endowments were generated for faculty members whose research expertise lies at one of the interfaces between biomedical science and physical, mathematical, computational or engineering science, emphasizing in particular research that will create synergy with research at UT Southwestern.

Cecil H. and Ida Green Distinguished Chair in Systems Biology Science

The legacy of Cecil H. and Ida Green at The University of Texas at Dallas was to establish in Dallas a world-class cohort of faculty and students in the new domain of integrated interdisciplinary biomedical research. The resources and talents of UT Dallas and UT Southwestern are combined under the support and guidance of the two institutions’ Green Centers. Endowments were generated for faculty members whose research expertise lies at one of the interfaces between biomedical science and physical, mathematical, computational or engineering science, emphasizing in particular research that will create synergy with research at UT Southwestern. This chair was established in 2005. Zhang was appointed as its first holder in 2007.

Fellow, Cecil H. and Ida Green Professor in Systems Biology Science

The legacy of Cecil H. and Ida Green at The University of Texas at Dallas was to establish in Dallas a world-class cohort of faculty and students in the new domain of integrated interdisciplinary biomedical research. The Cecil Green Estate created the professorship.

Francis S. Johnson Chair for Graduate Education

The chair was established to honor the legacy of the University’s first acting president, Dr. Francis “Frank” Johnson, and to recognize the contributions he made as graduate dean of UT Dallas. This chair was created with funds from the Excellence in Education Foundation Endowment in appreciation of the recent $5.5 million gift from the estate of Francis and Maurine Johnson that created seven Francis S. and Maurine G. Johnson Chairs in the School of Natural Sciences and Mathematics.

Francis S. and Maurine G. Johnson Chair

In 2010 Maurine Johnson, wife of the late Dr. Francis “Frank” Johnson, UT Dallas’ first acting president, became a member of the Legacy Society with a planned gift intended to create the Francis S. and Maurine G. Johnson Distinguished University Chair in the School of Natural Sciences and Mathematics. Upon her death in 2016 at the age of 97, Johnson’s gift of $5.5 million became the largest planned gift in UTD’s history. In addition to establishing the original distinguished chair, the bequest allowed the University to create seven additional Francis S. and Maurine G. Johnson Chairs to support the School of Natural Sciences and Mathematics.

Francis S. and Maurine G. Johnson Distinguished University Chair

In 2010 Maurine Johnson, wife of the late Dr. Francis “Frank” Johnson, UT Dallas’ first acting president, became a member of the Legacy Society with a planned gift intended to create the Francis S. and Maurine G. Johnson Distinguished University Chair in the School of Natural Sciences and Mathematics. Upon her death in 2016 at the age of 97, Johnson’s gift of $5.5 million became the largest planned gift in UTD’s history. In addition to establishing the original distinguished chair, the bequest allowed the University to create seven additional Francis S. and Maurine G. Johnson Chairs to support the School of Natural Sciences and Mathematics.

Fellow, Eugene McDermott Distinguished Professor

The McDermott Professorships were established in August 2017, funded by an anonymous gift, with the goal of providing early career support and recognition to faculty members who have established extraordinary records of research productivity, teaching excellence, and university service, and who show promise of being leaders of the UT Dallas faculty in the future.

Leadership

Lloyd V. Berkner Professor

The Berkner Professorship is funded from the Excellence in Education Foundation endowment, which supports excellence at UT Dallas.

Caruth Chair

The Hillcrest Foundation, founded by Mrs. W. W. Caruth, Sr., created the chair in December 1988 to honor the Caruth family by supporting a distinguished professor with a national or international reputation to deliver superior educational guidance for future leaders of the state.

Francis S. Johnson Chair for Graduate Education

The chair was established to honor the legacy of the University’s first acting president, Dr. Francis “Frank” Johnson, and to recognize the contributions he made as graduate dean of UT Dallas. This chair was created with funds from the Excellence in Education Foundation Endowment in appreciation of the recent $5.5 million gift from the estate of Francis and Maurine Johnson that created seven Francis S. and Maurine G. Johnson Chairs in the School of Natural Sciences and Mathematics.

Office of the President

Former Endowment Holders

In Memory