Chairs and Professorships

Roger Rothman
Associate professor of art and art history
Samuel H. Kress Professor of Art History, 2003-2008

"The Kress Professorship was instrumental in my decision to come to Bucknell. It allowed me to pursue research on Magritte and Dali and to present my work at conferences. My funding also paid for new books and DVDs for my courses, which enriches the classroom experience for students."


Attracting talent, rewarding inspiration

At the core of any top educational institution are the educators. Even more than a gorgeous campus or a multitude of co-curricular activities, the promise of a fertile academic environment is the main draw for talented students. The same is true for professors. Endowed professorships and chairs help Bucknell attract highly sought-after professors and reward current faculty members who educate and inspire at the highest level.

Chairs and professorships:

  • Offer professors significant opportunities for specialized academic pursuits.
  • Give Bucknell the tools to compete with the nation's best institutions for talented faculty.
  • Help attract outstanding new professors from other institutions — or reward Bucknell faculty for extraordinary teaching and scholarship, and encourage them continue their academic career here.

Help keep 'exceptional' the norm

Certain educators stand out for their brilliant scholarship, or their natural ability to engage students. You read books and see movies about them. You may have even been taught by one or two. Supporting chairs and professorships helps to ensure that every Bucknell student has this incredible learning experience, every day. And the professors, in turn, are able to advance their own scholarship in leaps and bounds.

Why support chairs and professorships?

  • Gifts of any size toward existing professorships can support both teaching and faculty research.
  • Endowing a named professorship or chair provides an opportunity to honor a family member, a mentor or a friend while rewarding great teaching and scholarship.
  • Endowed academic positions encourage continual strengthening of the academic program, which enhances the Bucknell experience for students and the value of a Bucknell degree for alumni.