Research

Nominations open for Evan Pugh University Professorship

Professorship honors preeminent faculty members at Penn State; deadline for nominations is Oct. 15

The Evan Pugh University Professorships were established in 1960 to honor preeminent professors and recognize the importance of research in supporting the quality and reputation of the University. Professors are selected without regard to college affiliation, program or location. Credit: Curtis Chan / Penn StateCreative Commons

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Nominations for Evan Pugh University Professorships are being sought by the Office of the President.

“The Evan Pugh University Professorship honors a highly select group of Penn State faculty for outstanding scholarly and professional achievement,” said President Eric Barron. “We are pleased to open the nomination process again this year to fill a limited number of positions.”

The Evan Pugh University Professorships were established in 1960 to honor preeminent professors and recognize the importance of research in supporting the quality and reputation of the University.  Professors are selected without regard to college affiliation, program or location.  Professorships are granted only to candidates who are acknowledged national and international leaders in their fields of research or creative activity.

Candidates must “have demonstrated excellent teaching skills and contributed significantly to the education of students, both undergraduate and graduate, who subsequently have achieved demonstrable recognition for excellence in their fields."  Candidates also must hold the rank of professor with at least five years of service to Penn State.

A total of 77 Evan Pugh University Professors have been named since the professorships were established in 1960. The 23 currently active Evan Pugh University Professors and the year of their appointment are as follows:  

  • George E. Andrews, mathematics, 1981
  • Harry R. Allcock, chemistry, 1985
  • Paul F. Baum, mathematics, 1996
  • Robert D. Hume, English, 1998
  • Alexander Wolszczan, astronomy and astrophysics, 1998
  • Richard B. Alley, geosciences, 2000
  • Joanna Floros, cellular and molecular physiology, 2004
  • Nigel Higson, mathematics, 2006
  • Donald Hambrick, business management, 2010
  • Jainendra Jain, physics, 2012
  • James Kasting, geosciences, 2012
  • Bruce Logan, environmental engineering, 2012
  • Nina Jablonski, anthropology, 2014
  • Andrew Read, biological sciences and entomology, 2014
  • Karen Bierman, psychology, 2016
  • Katherine Freeman, geosciences, 2016
  • Thomas La Porta, computer science and engineering and electrical engineering, 2016
  • Abhay Asktekar, physics, 2018
  • Squire Booker, chemistry, 2018
  • Akhlesh Lakhtakia, engineering, science and mechanics, 2018
  • Lynn Liben, psychology, 2018
  • Penny Kris-Etherton, nutrition, 2020
  • Susan Trolier-McKinstry, material science and engineering, 2020

The selection process is administered by the Office of the Senior Vice President for Research, and the Evan Pugh University Professor Advisory Committee will review nominations and make recommendations to the president. 

“We look forward to receiving outstanding nominations during this selection process,” added Lora Weiss, senior vice president for research. 

All nominations must be submitted to the dean of the academic college in which the nominee is appointed. The closing date for receipt of nominating materials to the deans is Oct. 15. Requests for “Guidelines for Preparation of Nominating Materials” or questions pertaining to the process should be directed to Ruth Weber, Office of the Senior Vice President for Research, 304 Old Main, 814-863-9580, e-mail rim100@psu.edu.  

Last Updated September 13, 2021