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KUMC Professorships

Our professorships are established to attract and retain high-quality faculty whose research, teaching, public service or other creative activity contribute to our overall mission.

Professorship Overview

The purpose of university endowed professorships are to recognize senior scholars of distinction at the University of Kansas Medical Center, support their scholarship and maximize their effectiveness in the classroom, lab or community.

Professorships fill an important part of our institution and its history. Professorships are available in the School of Health Professions, School of Medicine and School of Nursing, with each serving different needs, purposes, goals, responsibilities expected of the recipient and amount of support. Some are filled by appointment and some through a nomination process. All funds are managed through our Endowment Association.

Types of Professorships

  • Endowed and Named Professorships: These include philanthropic support and can help expand educational opportunities or enable a current or future faculty member or department chair to enhance their research and clinical practices, along with providing educational opportunities for the department's residents, postdocs, graduate or medical students, by hiring an endowed professor in a specific specialty, as identified by the donor. Some Professorships are established in honor of a donor's loved one, or to honor one of our alumni or even a distinguished member of our faculty.
  • Teaching Professorships, such as the Ruth Bohan Teaching Professorship, the most prestigious teaching award in the School of Medicine, recognizes excellence in teaching and seeks to continue the tradition of outstanding education in the medical school.
  • Distinguished Professorships recognize faculty members who are truly distinguished as scholars with an international reputation for scholarship, a commitment to the development of colleagues, students, and the institution, hold high interest in activities outside their major field of scholarship, along with a sincere involvement with the community.
  • Emeritus Professorships recognize both a faculty member's demonstrated distinguished service during their long service to the institution, serving on our faculty as a full professional rank for at least 10 years.

Nomination Form:

Download Form 

Professorship FAQs

No, only one professorship is granted per person.

No, interim staff cannot use professorship titles unless they are directly appointed to the professorship.

Professorship dollars can be spent by an interim/acting chair if documented as donor intent and a request is formally approved by the Executive Vice Chair and/or the Dean.

Consistent with KU Endowment's policy "Best Practices for University Investiture Events", a professorship ceremony is held at the time of the first investiture. The investiture ceremony honors both the faculty/staff and the donor. Future ceremonies can occur but must be approved by Endowment and University Leadership.

KU Endowment pays for the initial investiture ceremony. Any additional recognition may be done in coordination with KU Endowment and is hosted by the school, college or department.

The donor intent determines the FAR. If donor does not specify a FAR, the Executive Vice Chair and/or Dean is the FAR or they can appoint a FAR.

Nomination forms (.docx) for potential candidates should be submitted and will be reviewed by the Executive Vice Chair and/or the Dean.

Criteria must align with donor intent and be approved by the Executive Vice Chair and/or the Dean.

Each respective school is responsible for monthly updates to the professorship master list.

The academic unit (ExecutiveVice Chair, Dean, Chair or Administrator) is responsible for vacancy notification to the respective school contact.

Professorship changes are communicated by a direct supervisor, Executive Vice Chair, Dean or Chair.

Management of Professorships

The master list of professorships (PDF), updated quarterly, is managed through the Professorship Work Group (PDF), which is comprised of representatives across the medical center.

More information can be found by employed staff on our intranet.

Questions?

  • Mary Jo Williams, Operations Manager, KU Endowment
    • Questions regarding funding, giving and investitutes
  • Hinano Gray, Senior Associate Dean for Finance, KU School of Medicine
    • Vacancies, qualifications, packages and searches
  • Erin Manuel, Director of Finance and Administration, KU School of Health Professions
    • School of Health Professions professorships
  • Anna Nguyen, Director of Business and Fiscal Affairs, KU School of Nursing
    • School of Nursing professorships
  • Jenny Laffey, Director, Office of Academic and Student Affairs
    • Website updates
  • Teresa Christenson, Associate Vice Chancellor, KU Cancer Center
Faculty Affairs and Career Development

University of Kansas Medical Center
Faculty Affairs and Career Development
Mailstop 4009
Wescoe Pavilion 5003

3901 Rainbow Boulevard
Kansas City, KS 66160
Phone: 913-588-1381
Fax: 913-588-5242