Curators’ Professorships and Curators’ Teaching Professorships

A Curators’ Professorship is the highest and most prestigious academic rank awarded by the Board of Curators of the University of Missouri. It is awarded to a select few “outstanding scholars with established reputations.” Each Curators’ Professor becomes a resource of the University and is expected to contribute to the entire University through such teaching, scholarship, service and outreach activities. Appointments to these prestigious positions are for five-years, and are renewable at the discretion of the Chancellor.

Appointments to Curators’ Professorships are made by the University of Missouri Board of Curators’ on the recommendation of the Chancellor. Faculty members and deans may nominate faculty members for these appointments by sending the provost a recommendation and a portfolio containing a narrative of nominee’s accomplishments, the nominee’s curriculum vitae, letters from nominators, and testimonial letters from UMKC peers and others. In assessing the nominations, the Provost solicits the advice of a review committee that evaluates the portfolios. Following the review, the provost sends his/her recommendations to the Chancellor. If approved, the Chancellor forwards a recommendation and the portfolio to the President of the UM System who, if approving, presents the candidate for approval by the Board of Curators. Appointment to a Curators’ Professorship includes a salary stipend and support for creative/research activities. Policies on this appointment are available here.

A current list of active UMKC Curators’ Professors appears below, including name, title, academic unit, and year of appointment.

• Felicia H. Londré, Curators’ Professor, A&S Department of Theater (1987)
• Wai-Yim Ching, Curators’ Professor, A&S Department of Physics (1988)
• George J. Thomas, Curators’ Professor, School of Biological Sciences (1988)
• J. David Eick, Curators’ Professor, School of Dentistry (1989)
• Bruce Bubacz, Distinguished Teaching Professor, A&S Department of Philosophy (1998)
• James Mobberley, Curators’ Professor, Conservatory of Music (1999)
• Max Skidmore, Curators’ Professor, A&S Department of Political Science (1999)
• David Atkinson, Distinguished Teaching Professor, A&S Department of Political Science (1999)
• Yanching (Jerry) Jean, Curators’ Professor, A&S Department of Chemistry (2002)
• Ashim Mitra, Curators’ Professor, School of Pharmacy (2002)
• Charles Wurrey, Distinguished Teaching Professor, A&S Department of Chemistry (2002)
• Joan Dean, Distinguished Teaching Professor, A&S Department of English (2003)
• James Durig, Curators’ Professor, A&S Department of Chemistry (2003)
• Carla Klausner, Distinguished Teaching Professor, A&S Department of History (2004)
• Khosrow Sohraby, Curators’ Professor, School of Computing and Engineering (2004)
• Paulette Spencer, Curators’ Professor, School of Dentistry (2004)
• Lynda Bonewald, Curators’ Professor, School of Dentistry (2005)
• Nancy Levit, Curators’ Professor, School of Law (2005)
• Joan Gallos, Curators’ Teaching Professor, Bloch School of Business, Administration and Finance (2008)
  

-Written by Ronald MacQuarrie, Vice Provost, and Rebecca Edmundson, Faculty Affairs Specialist