°ä´Ç±ô²µ²¹³Ù±ð’s Third-Century Plan is a long-term framework to strengthen all aspects of the University’s mission. Pivotal to this effort — and prominent among the list of first initiatives — is the recruitment and retention of leading faculty members. These individuals, who advance °ä´Ç±ô²µ²¹³Ù±ð’s rigorous academic tradition, are driven both by curiosity and the desire to become co-creators of knowledge alongside some of the world’s brightest undergraduates.
To accomplish this goal, the University seeks to establish more than 20 new named and endowed professorships. Appointment to these named chairs recognizes excellent teaching and provides additional resources for scholarship and curricular initiatives for those so named. The creation of new endowed professorships amplifies this institution’s commitment to those who engage in excellent teaching and important research.
Last year, the generosity of alumni and friends allowed for the establishment of a number of new Third-Century Endowed Chairs. Mary Simonson, associate professor of film and media studies and women’s studies, was named to one of these new chairs and is the inaugural Daniel C. Benton ’80 Endowed Chair in Arts, Creativity, and Innovation.