Overview

The Named Professorships, including the Cather/Bessey, Douglas/Weaver and Rosowski, are intended to recognize outstanding faculty members for their contributions in research or teaching and promise for future excellence. These professorships are funded by the Office of the Executive Vice Chancellor.

Willa Cather / Charles Bessey Professorship In recognition of distinguished scholarship or creative activity

Willa Cather
Willa Cather
Charles Bessey
Charles Bessey

Stipend: $5,000 | Discipline: Open | Position: Full Professor

Willa Cather and Charles Bessey professorships were established in 2001 by the University of Nebraska-Lincoln to recognize faculty members with the rank of full professor who have established exceptional records of distinguished scholarship or creative activity. Normally, successful nominees for this professorship will have at least three years in rank as a full professor. Individuals awarded the professorship may elect either the Cather or Bessey designation. They are known as Cather or Bessey professors and professor of (field). Beginning in 2024-25, this professorship will be awarded as a non-renewable professorship with a five-year term. Holders are eligible to be re-nominated at the end of the five-year term. This change does not apply to professorships awarded prior to 2024-25.

Current Professorships

Year Recipient Professorship Department
2024 Ken Bloom Willa Cather Professorship Physics and Astronomy
2024 Oleh Khalimonchuk Willa Cather Professorship Biochemistry
2024 Richard Wilson Charles Bessey Professorship Plant Pathology
2023 Qingsheng Li Willa Cather Professorship Biological Sciences
2023 Robert Powers Charles Bessey Professorship Chemistry
2023 Francisco Souto Willa Cather Professorship Art, Art History & Design

More recipients

Year Recipient Professorship Department
2022 Ronald Faller Willa Cather Professorship Civil and Environmental Engineering
2022 Leen-Kiat Soh Charles Bessey Professorship Computing
2021 Christian Binek Charles Bessey Professorship Physics and Astronomy
2021 Jody Koenig Kellas Willa Cather Professorship Communication Studies
2020 Marco Abel Willa Cather Professorship English
2020 Brian Harbourne Willa Cather Professorship Mathematics
2020 Eileen Hebets Charles Bessey Professorship Biological Sciences
2019 Julia McQuillan Willa Cather Professorship Sociology
2019 Jay Storz Willa Cather Professorship Biological Sciences
2018 Joy Castro Willa Cather Professorship English and Ethnic Studies
2017 David DiLillo Willa Cather Professorship Psychology
2017 Timothy Gay Willa Cather Professorship Physics and Astronomy
2017 Susan Hermiller Willa Cather Professorship Mathematics
2016 Kimberly Tyler Willa Cather Professorship Sociology
2014 Jordan Stump Willa Cather Professorship Modern Languages & Literatures
2014 Susan Swearer Willa Cather Professorship Educational Psychology
2014 Mark Walker Willa Cather Professorship Mathematics
2013 Donald Becker Charles Bessey Professorship Biochemistry
2011 David Berkowitz Willa Cather Professorship Chemistry
2011 Janos Zempleni Willa Cather Professorship Nutrition & Health Sciences
2010 Andrzej Rajca Charles Bessey Professorship Chemistry
2010 Elizabeth Theiss-Morse Willa Cather Professorship Political Science
2009 Patrick Dussault Charles Bessey Professorship Chemistry
2008 Richard Wiener Charles Bessey Professorship Psychology
2007 Yiqi Yang Charles Bessey Professorship Textiles, Merchandising & Fashion Design
2002 Peter Dowben Charles Bessey Professorship Physics & Astronomy

John E. Weaver / Aaron Douglas Professorship In recognition of a sustained record of teaching excellence and national visibility for instructional activities/practice

John E. Weaver
John E. Weaver
Aaron Douglas
Aaron Douglas

Stipend: $5,000 | Discipline: Open | Position: Full Professor

John E. Weaver and Aaron Douglas Professorships for Teaching Excellence were established in 2008 by the University of Nebraska-Lincoln to recognize faculty members with the rank of full professor who demonstrate sustained and extraordinary levels of teaching excellence and national visibility for instructional activities and/or practice. Nominees must have at least three years in rank as a full professor in order to be considered for the professorship. Individuals awarded the professorship may elect either the Douglas or Weaver designation. They are known as Weaver or Douglas professors and professor of (field). Beginning in 2024-25, this professorship will be awarded as a non-renewable professorship with a five-year term. Holders are eligible to be re-nominated at the end of the five-year term. This change does not apply to professorships awarded prior to 2024-25.

Current Professorships

Year Recipient Professorship Department
2023 Vanessa Gorman Aaron Douglas Professorship History, Classics and Religious Studies
2023 Kenneth Kiewra John E. Weaver Professorship Educational Psychology
2022 Eve Brank Aaron Douglas Professorship Psychology

More recipients

Year Recipient Professorship Department
2018 Debra Hope Aaron Douglas Professorship Psychology
2018 Clarence Waters Aaron Douglas Professorship Durham School of Architectural Engineering and Construction
2016 Martha Mamo John E. Weaver Professorship Agronomy & Horticulture
2014 Laura White John E. Weaver Professorship English
2012 Judy Walker Aaron Douglas Professorship Mathematics
2010 Stephen Buhler Aaron Douglas Professorship English
2010 Calvin Garbin John E. Weaver Professorship Psychology

Susan J. Rosowski Professorship In recognition of faculty who show exceptional promise for future excellence and distinguished scholarship or creative activity

Susan J. Rosowski
Susan J. Rosowski

Stipend: $3,000 | Discipline: Open | Position: Associate Professor

The Susan J. Rosowski Professorship recognizes faculty at the associate professor level for their contributions in research and teaching, who show exceptional promise for future excellence, and who have achieved distinguished records of scholarship or creative activity. Normally, successful nominees for this professorship will have at least two years in rank as an associate professor. The five-year, one-time appointment professorship carries a $3,000 annual stipend.

Current Professorships

Year Recipient Department
2024 Nora Peterson Modern Languages and Literatures
2024 Massimiliano Pierobon Computing
2024 Hope Wabuke English
2023 Brian A. Couch Biological Sciences
2023 Xiaoshan Xu Physics and Astronomy, Nebraska Center for Materials and Nanoscience

More recipients

Year Recipient Department
2022 Rebecca Brock Psychology
2021 Tomas Helikar Biochemistry
2020 Jeffrey Stevens Psychology
2020 Stacey Waite English
2019 Oleh Khalimonchuk Biochemistry
2019 Kristi Montooth Biological Sciences

Chancellor's Professorship

Stipend: Varies | Discipline: Varies | Position: Varies

Current Professorships

Year Recipient Department
2016 Stephen Cooper Jeffery S. Raikes School of Computer Science and Management