September 9, 2015

Nine professors honored at endowed chair holder celebration

The extraordinary achievements of nine Vanderbilt endowed chair holders were lauded at a Sept. 8 celebration during which generous donors were thanked.

L-r: Vice Chancellor for Health Affairs and Dean of the School of Medicine Jeff Balser, Christopher Aiken, Cindy Kam, Robert Talisse, Michael Miga, Lauren Benton, Robert Macdonald, Joshua Clinton, Jeanne Wanzek, Mark Wallace and Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs Susan Wente. (Anne Rayner/Vanderbilt)

Nine faculty members who hold endowed chairs were honored for their extraordinary academic achievements at a Sept. 8 festive event at the Student Life Center.

“We celebrate our colleagues today as a way of thanking them for their work to make this world a better place,” said Jeff Balser, vice chancellor for health affairs and dean of the School of Medicine. “At the same time, we take this opportunity to recognize a group of amazing donors who have invested in Vanderbilt’s tradition of discovery and our relentless pursuit of knowledge.”

Susan Wente, provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs, joined Balser in thanking the donors for their generosity and introducing the chair holders, who are listed below with their academic appointments:

Tuesday’s event marked the 17th one to pay tribute to faculty members who have been named to endowed chairs. A total of 165 chair holders have been honored since the initiative to recruit and retain outstanding scholars and teachers was announced in August 2010 by Chancellor Nicholas S. Zeppos, who attended Tuesday’s celebration.