Originally published in The Well
Carolina has awarded distinguished professorships to 15 faculty members from five schools plus the College of Arts and Sciences. The University’s Board of Trustees approved the new appointments at its January, March and May 2023 meetings.
Appointment to a distinguished professorship is one of the highest faculty honors the University can bestow. Recognized faculty have shown distinction and leadership in their field of study or across disciplines.
Distinguished awards provide recipients with research funds along with an honorary title. Funding may be provided either until retirement or for a fixed period depending on the funding source.
The University now has a substantive number of named endowed professorships. This includes professorships established by donors and supplemented with state funds from the Distinguished Professors Endowment Trust Fund, which was established by the North Carolina General Assembly in 1985 to provide grants for endowed professorships.
Conferral of this honor requires approval by the Faculty Council’s Appointment, Promotion and Tenure Committee and the University’s Board of Trustees.
Listed by school in alphabetical order, the newest faculty honored as distinguished professors are:
Adams School of Dentistry
Kimon Divaris, James Bawden Distinguished Professor, effective June 1, 2023.
Takashi Komabayashi, Olmsted Family Distinguished Term Professorship in Endodontics, effective Sept. 12, 2022.
College of Arts and Sciences
Jonathan Abramowitz, Martin S. Wallach Distinguished Term Professor, psychology and neuroscience department, effective July 1, 2023.
Antonia Randolph, Jonathan M. Hess Career Development Term Assistant Professor, American studies department, effective July 1, 2023.
Eshelman School of Pharmacy
Ronny Bell, Fred Eshelman Distinguished Professor, effective Jan. 1, 2023.
Gillings School of Global Public Health
Stephanie Wheeler, Michael S. O’Malley Distinguished Professor, effective June 1, 2023.
Hussman School of Journalism and Media
Kristen Harrison, Richard Cole Eminent Professor, effective July 1, 2023.
School of Medicine
Kathleen Caron, Frederick L. Eldridge, MD, Professorship in Cell Biology and Molecular Physiology, effective Jan. 27, 2023.
Benjamin Chi, Annie Louise Wilkerson, MD ’36, Distinguished Professor, effective May 19, 2023.
Adam Goldstein, Elizabeth and Oscar Goodwin Distinguished Professor, effective March 24, 2023.
Susan Martinelli, Edward A. Norfleet, MD ’70, Distinguished Professorship, effective May 19, 2023.
Michael Meyers , James F. and Alice B. Newsome Distinguished Term Professorship in Surgery, effective May 19, 2023.
Richard Jude Samulski, Alumni Distinguished Professor, effective July 1, 2023.
School of Social Work
William Hall, L. Richardson Preyer Early Career Scholar, effective June 1, 2023.
Rainier Masa, L. Richardson Preyer Early Career Scholar, effective July 1, 2023.
