Presidential Professorships

Presidential Professorships. When President Boren came to the University of Oklahoma in 1994, faculty excellence was a priority concern. How could we retain our best and brightest professors? How could we attract the quality of faculty who would be great educators and researchers? One answer was the Presidential Professors Program –the President’s first initiative at OU. Currently there are about 60 OU Presidential Professors, with about 15 new awards made each year.

Lloyd and Joyce Austin stand with Randall Kolar, professor of civil engineering and environmental science, who was announced as the new Lloyd and Joyce Austin Presidential Professor during the 2008 Faculty Tribute.

The Presidential Professorship Program is one of President Boren’s cornerstone initiatives to recognize and reward top faculty members. Four-year stipends of $5,000 are awarded to assistant and associate professors, and $10,000 for full professors. Nominees are chosen in a highly competitive process.

This program has made a real difference in faculty morale and compensation, because it truly rewards merit. Professors are nominated for these awards and selected by a committee of faculty, administrators and alumni for four-year appointments.

The professorships can be funded with an endowment gift of $200,000, which will generate $10,000 a year for the professor during a four-year term and it is typically directed toward their salary. OU currently has 62 Presidential Professorship endowments.

Click here to read about Scott Gronlund, the 2008 Roger and Sherry Teigen Presidential Professor, and his research on eyewitness identification.