Axe ’Em, Jacks!
Inaugural ceremony highlights SFA's endowed faculty members
Story by Alyssa Faykus '19
Photos by Lizeth Garcia and Connor Bronson
In celebration of SFA's dedication to academic excellence, the university held its inaugural Endowed Faculty Recognition Ceremony in the spring to honor 25 distinguished faculty members who hold both new and continued endowed professorships.
"There is no more important function that we do here at the institution than quality education. There is no symbol greater in high-quality education than an endowed professorship faculty member." - SFA President Dr. Neal Weaver
Faculty members were awarded medallions inscribed with the name of their endowment to represent their contributions to world-class research, teaching and scholarship. The medallions will be worn at academic events and ceremonies. Dr. Judy Abbott, former interim provost and executive vice president for the Division of Academic Affairs, presided over the ceremony.
"Endowed positions are important to a university because they help to attract and retain high-quality faculty," Abbott said. "The funding also helps increase and enhance research activities. Each professorship is made possible thanks to the generous contributions from alumni and friends of the university."
Dr. Kwame Badu Antwi-Boasiako
Dr. Donald Gregory Professorship
Dr. Justin Blount
Sanner-Berry Business Professorship
Dr. Dan Bruton
Micky Elliott Engineering Professorship
Dr. Lauren Burrow
Margaret Hoover Perkins Research Professorship
Dr. Emiliano Giudici
John Lewis Professorship
Dr. Gregory Grabowski
Gene Moon Professorship
Dr. Michelle Harris
Tom F. and Deborah Nichols Pruitt Patent Education Professorship
Dr. I-Kuai Hung
Robert E. Minton Professorship
Dr. Matthew Jaramillo
John and Karen Mast Professorship
Dr. Janet Jones
Temple-Inland Employees Distinguished Professor in Accounting
Dr. David Kulhavy
Laurence C. Walker Distinguished Professorship
Dr. Stephen Lias
Dean’s Circle Endowed Professorship of the College of Fine Arts
Dr. Matthew McBroom
TLL Temple Chair Fund
Dr. Kelly G. Noe
Beverly Hatfield Smith Professorship
Dr. Emmerentie Oliphant
Buddy Zeagler Professorship
Dr. Brian Oswald
Joe C. Denman Professorship
Dr. Barbara Qualls
E.J. Campbell Distinguished Professorship
Dr. Stephanie Ross
Sammie L. Smith Professorship
Dr. Nikki Shoemaker
Michelle and Harmon Smith Professorship
Dr. Elizabeth Spradley
Jim Towns Mentoring Professorship
Dr. Jeremy Stovall
Bone Hill Foundation Distinguished Professorship
Dr. Sarah Straub
Montgomery Professorship for Humane Education
Dr. Daniel Unger
Kenneth Nelson Professorship
Dr. Pat Stephens Williams
Dr. Hiram and Gloria Arnold Distinguished Professorship
Dr. Yanli Zhang
Marilyn Cranford Professorship
Interested in establishing an endowed professorship?
Contact the Office of Development by calling 936.468.5406 or emailing givetosfa@sfasu.edu.
The recognition ceremony — held as part of a week of events leading up to the Presidential Investiture Ceremony — was a way to "shine a very bright light on Stephen F. Austin State University, the great quality that exists here and the impact we are making on Texas and the world," according to Dr. Neal Weaver, SFA president.
"There is no more important function that we do here at the institution than quality education," Weaver said. "There is no symbol greater in high-quality education than an endowed professorship faculty member. You have raised the bar for all of us here at this institution."
Weaver stated a goal to double the number of endowed faculty positions over the next decade and announced SFA has received commitments for seven more positions in the future.
