Reserved for a scholar of national and international acclaim, an endowed professorship is one of the highest honors the College can bestow on a member of its faculty. These professorships play a critical role in attracting and retaining proven thought leaders who can drive Michigan's mission and standard for excellence. Among academia, endowed professorships are a coveted and widely recognized accolade, signaling a colleague at the top of his or her field.

In many ways, Michigan's prosperity has become a double-edged sword. Its success has always depended on its ability to attract the best minds of each generation-both as teachers and as students. Because of its stellar reputation and ability to attract talent, Michigan has become a popular recruiting ground for other universities. Endowed professorships have become an essential tool to express a faculty member's importance to both the College and University.

Ranking among the top engineering institutions worldwide, Michigan Engineering is in the enviable position of having more talented individuals deserving of this recognition than it is currently able to designate. Growing endowments at other institutions have also placed increased pressure on the College to hold on to its most sought after faculty members. Presently, Michigan lags behind several of its peer institutions in the number of endowed engineering professorships it has designated.

The College of Engineering invites individuals, corporations and foundations to invest in the next century of engineering education, research and technology transfer by providing resources to establish named, endowed professorships. These gifts contribute to the strength of the College by rewarding outstanding faculty members for their accomplishments and providing a flexible means of attracting leading talent to strengthen particular engineering disciplines.

Endowing a Legacy

At present, a gift of $2 million, payable over one to five years, is required to name and endow a professorship. These funds will be used to underwrite partial compensatory expenses, as well as provide discretionary monies for research, travel and other activities. Once gift payments total $1 million, the professorship is available for appointment.

By endowing a professorship, you are making it possible to grow one of the College's most important resources-its people. You are sponsoring a scholar of international stature and recognizing a highly distinguished record of teaching, research and publication. Moreover, you are helping the College attract new teaching and research talent, while allowing it to retain the exceptional faculty already at Michigan.