To:       The University Community

From:    President Roderick J. McDavis

Date:     September 17, 2009

Re:        Nominations for Distinguished Professor

One of the most cherished University endowments, established in the 1950s by Mr. Edwin L. Kennedy, is the Baker Fund which supports the Kennedy Lecture Series and the Distinguished Professor Program. Current income from this restricted endowment supports the appointment of a new Distinguished Professor each year.

The Distinguished Professors elect faculty as members who are deserving of this high recognition. A screening committee consisting of the five most recently elected Distinguished Professors reviews nominations and develops a short list of candidates. The screening committee for the 2010 cycle includes David Drabold (Physics, 2005), Tadeusz Malinski (Chemistry and Biochemistry, 2006), Mark Phillips, Chair (Music, 2007), Damien Nance (Geological Sciences, 2008), and Peter Jung (Physics and Astronomy, 2009).

According to the terms of the endowment, those elected to membership in the company of Distinguished Professors “will be chosen on the basis of outstanding artistic, literary, historical, or scientific achievements, or other worthy accomplishments attaining wide recognition.” To be considered for election, a faculty member must have tenure and a minimum of five years of service at Ohio University. While a positive assessment of effectiveness as a teacher is an essential requirement, the prime consideration is scholarly or creative contributions that have received substantial recognition beyond the Ohio University community.

Nominations for Distinguished Professor are encouraged and welcomed from all departments, schools, and academic disciplines at Ohio University. Nominations may come from chairs, directors, or any faculty member. Nominations should be submitted directly to Professor Mark Phillips, School of Music, Glidden Hall 475B. All nominations should be accompanied by supporting information, including bibliography, letters of support, representative publications, and other pertinent materials. Letters of support should not exceed 10 in number. The nominating letter itself should include a summary of the nominee’s career and qualifications. The deadline for 2010 nominations is April 9, 2010. Inquiries about the content of nomination dossiers should be directed to Professor Phillips. The announcement of the 2010 Distinguished Professor will be made near the end of the 2010 Spring Quarter.