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Endowed Chairs and Distinguished Professorships – Current Holders

In the academic world, it is not only students who receive special notice for outstanding work. Faculty do, too, and these honors are known as endowed "chairs" or "distinguished professorships." They are given to a faculty member in recognition of outstanding scholarship, commitment to undergraduate students, and classroom teaching.

Such a special professorship is not supported by the regular budget, but by an endowment - that is, by gifts made by individuals to the St. Mary's College of Maryland Foundation, Inc. The interest from these specially designated gifts makes it possible for the holder of the chair to enjoy extra financial support for further research and professional growth. The chair or distinguished professorship is generally held for a term of three years and then passed to someone else.

Thanks to its friends and supporters, St. Mary's currently has nine endowed chairs and professorships.

The Aldom-Plansoen Distinguished Professorships were established through the generosity of Jarrod Aldom '97 and his family. The professorship is competitively awarded to newly tenured faculty and provides research funds for faculty scholarship to sustain and enrich scholarly contributions.

The Hilda C. Landers Endowed Chair in the Liberal Arts was established through the generous support of the Arthur E. Landers, Jr. and Hilda C. Landers '23 Charitable Trust. This chair honors a faculty member whose accomplishments in the liberal arts have set him or her apart from academic peers and is a gifted teacher who provides leadership for both the students and faculty of St. Mary's. Moreover, as mandated by the Landers Chair agreement, this scholar strives to furnish vital support and enrichment to the College's fundamental courses in the arts and letters as well as in a particular area of specialization.

The Steven Muller Distinguished Professorship in the Arts honors faculty whose accomplishments in the arts distinguish them among their creative peers and is a participant in the broader world of art and culture that informs the opportunities for students at St. Mary's. He or she is a dedicated and talented teacher who calls on practical knowledge and experience in ways that have proven effective among students.

The Steven Muller Distinguished Professorship in the Sciences honors faculty whose accomplishments in the sciences have established their command of a field of research relevant to our understanding of the world we inhabit. The faculty member who holds this chair contributes to vital dialogue among scientists, enhanced by the research con­tributions of St. Mary's students.

The George B. and Willma Reeves Endowed Chair in the Liberal Arts, the College's first endowed chair, is awarded to a professor who holds outstanding academic qualifications and a demonstrated capacity to share knowledge through teaching across the curriculum. The chair is endowed by the generous support of the late George Bradford Reeves, a lifelong resident of St. Mary's County, and his wife, Willma Reeves, along with a matching grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities.

The Ike Weiner Professorship in Religious Studies was established by alumna and trustee emerita June Weiner Auerbach '49 in memory of her father. The chair honors an eminent scholar and researcher in Religious Studies.

The G. Thomas and Martha Myers Yeager Endowed Chair in the Liberal Arts was established through the generosity of G. Thomas and Martha Myers Yeager '41. The distinguished occupant of this position possesses a broad expertise in the social or behavioral sciences and is an eminent scholar and gifted teacher. This scholar holds outstanding academic qualifications and works to foster links between academic disciplines and to provide broad perspectives on knowledge. As a leader and renowned scholar, this individual serves as a center around which our remarkable academic community coheres.

The Helen and Tom Daugherty Distinguished Chair in History and Social Science will honor and recognize the accomplishments of an eminent scholar and gifted teacher. Established by G. Thomas Daugherty '65 and Helen Ginn Daugherty.