Distinguished Professor

Nominations due October 14th, 2025

The Office of the Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs is requesting nominations for Distinguished Professor. Typically, up to six Distinguished Professors are selected each year. Nominations from all parts of the university are strongly encouraged.

Eligibility Criteria

Policy and Procedures 6-300 states, “The rank of Distinguished Professor is reserved for selected individuals whose achievements exemplify the highest goals of scholarship as demonstrated by recognition accorded to them from peers with national and international stature, and whose record includes evidence of a high dedication to teaching as demonstrated by recognition accorded to them by students and/or colleagues.” A person should not be recommended to the distinguished professorship unless they are tenure-line faculty who has completed five years of service at the University of Utah prior to the nomination.

The nomination and selection of Distinguished Professors occurs annually. Repeat nominations are permissible up to three years. After three years, the nominee must wait two years before being eligible for re-nomination. Regarding repeat nominations, we encourage nominators and/or other professors to add any additional information to update the file that they deem important for this year’s consideration.

All nominations must be submitted electronically. The content of these nominations differ from RPT packages, with a particular emphasis on the highest levels of distinction. Supporting documents should highlight how award criteria are met.

Distinguished Professor Policy

1. The rank of Distinguished Professor is reserved for selected faculty members whose achievements exemplify the highest goals of scholarship and research as demonstrated by recognition accorded to them from peers with national and international stature, and whose record includes evidence of a high dedication to teaching and mentoring as demonstrated by recognition accorded to them by students and/or colleagues.
2. Candidates recommended for distinguished professor status must have a record of accomplishments in accordance with the following university-wide criteria:
  1. A record of distinguished performance in research or creative work;
  2. A record of dedication in both classroom teaching and supervision of individual learning;
  3. A record of committed service to the profession.
3. The very nature of the title Distinguished Professor implies that there will be a limited number of faculty members holding this title. The honor is intended to signify a select group of faculty members, ordinarily no more than six annually, who are leaders in their respective
  fields as attested to by national and/or international recognition and achievements. A person should not be recommended to Distinguished Professorship unless they are a member of the faculty who has completed five years of service at the University of Utah prior to the nomination.
- A record of distinguished performance in research or creative work. The professor’s work has
  received national and/or international recognition and the professor has had a major impact by
  changing, or greatly influencing the direction of their field.
  Possible ways to demonstrate exceptional achievement, merit, and impact may include:
  - Major prizes and awards, membership in honorary academies and societies, and election
    to fellowship in professional societies indicate that the nominee is considered a leading
    member of the discipline by their peers. Significant awards and prizes within a particular
    subfield also signify distinguished performance and impact.
  - Publication in journals or presses rated at the top of that field and substantial peer
    citations to those publications; for artists, exhibitions or performances in prestigious
    venues.
  - Selected reviews of major publications or performances, as appropriate.
  - If applicable to the field, extramural funding or grants.
- A record of excellence in both classroom teaching and supervision of individual learning. The
  latter may include direction of undergraduate research and independent study, graduate
  research, theses, dissertations, clinical education, and mentoring.
  Possible ways to demonstrate exceptional achievement, impact, and merit may include:
  - Awards or prizes for teaching and/or mentoring achievements.
  - Some or all of the following: development of innovative new courses; development of
    new clinical techniques; curriculum revision; interdisciplinary teaching; or lager projects
    to improve pedagogy; innovative syllabi; websites; other instructional materials; or
    teaching-related grants.
  - A description of the professional accomplishments of former undergraduate and/or
    graduate or professional students supervised by the nominee, including their current
    occupation and position.
- A record of leadership and commitment to professional service.
  Possible ways to demonstrate exceptional achievement, impact, and merit may include:
  - Leadership positions and membership in international or national professional or
    honorary organizations, entities, societies, and committees, and descriptions of
    accomplishments traceable to the nominee and impact the nominee has had within the
    group.
A. The nomination and selection of Distinguished Professors will occur annually.

B. The process is non-prejudicial for those not selected in any year. Nominations remain active for three years, during which time the original nominator will be contacted for any updates regarding significant changes and accomplishments. After three years, the nominee must wait
an additional two years before becoming eligible for re-nomination, unless an exception is requested by the committee for highly competitive candidates.

C. All nominations are submitted to the Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs. The deans of the appropriate colleges and the chairs of the appropriate departments will be notified of any nominations made from their colleges and departments.

D. Nominations shall consist of (1) a nomination letter, (2) a current CV, and (3) names, postal
and email addresses, and a one-paragraph bio for six potential reviewers.

1. Nomination letter:

a. The nomination letter should address in separate sections the university-wide
criteria for accomplishments in the following three areas:

• A record of distinguished performance in research or creative work;
• A record of excellence in both classroom teaching and supervision of individual learning;
• A record of leadership and committed service to the profession.

b. The nomination letter should make clear to people in other disciplines the metrics, standards, and measures of excellence used within this field. It is important to explain what specific achievements constitute a distinguished record and what accomplishments indicate that this nominee is at the top of their field. This letter is especially important in professional and performance-based fields.

c. If honors and awards are cited, the nomination letter should explain the nature and context of such honors within the field and how these contribute to and distinguish the nominee’s record of achievements compared to peers.

d. If the nominee’s record includes grants with multiple investigators or publications with multiple authors, the letter should explain their individual and pivotal role. The letter may also clarify the forms or media through which scholars typically publish or present in the candidate’s field, including the role and distinctive impact of different kinds of publications and creative works.

e. The nomination letter should explain if the nominee has not been able to train graduate students due to the nature of the field or program at the University of Utah.

2. Curriculum Vitae: The CV should include academic preparation and professional history, list of awards and professional recognitions, list of publications, list of creative works, grants and research awards if appropriate, teaching history, and professional service.

3. Reviewers: A list of reviewers, including names, postal and email addresses, and a oneparagraph bio for six potential reviewers must be provided.

• At least four of the six reviewers must be prominent scholars or artists in the field who will assess the scholarly or artistic contributions and impact. Letters should be from outstanding scholars or professionals in that field, normally senior people working at excellent institutions in this country and abroad. The letters should describe the nominee’s standing in their area of specialization and in the broader field. None of the reviewers in this category should be former advisors or former or current students.
• One reviewer may be someone who can describe the impact of the nominee’s teaching/supervision/mentoring.
• One reviewer may be someone who can assess the candidate’s professional service contribution.

E. In order to support the nomination process and make recommendations for Distinguished Professor appointments, the Senior Vice President will appoint a Distinguished Professor Advisory Committee.

1. The Distinguished Professor Advisory Committee will consist of nine Distinguished Professors representing various disciplines across the entire university drawn from the following college groupings:

a. two from the Colleges of Fine Arts, Architecture + Planning, Humanities, Law Cultural and Social Transformation, or Libraries;
b. two from the Colleges of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Education, Social Work, Business, or Health;
c. two from the Colleges of Engineering, Mines and Earth Sciences, or Science; and
d. two from the Colleges of Medicine, Nursing, Dentistry, or Pharmacy.
e. In addition to the eight members described in a. through d., one at-large member from any college will be selected. Ordinarily no more than one member from the same college will sit on the committee at any one time.

2. Any Distinguished Professor can nominate other Distinguished Professors or can volunteer to serve on the committee. The Senior Vice President will make the selection of the committee and will endeavor to have the committee reflect diversity within the university.

3. Committee members will serve for two years. One member from each college grouping will be replaced annually.

4. The Committee is given charge to complete the following three tasks:

a. Promote a broad and diverse pool of nominees.

• Create a list of potential nominees from departments and/or colleges that are underrepresented among the Distinguished Professors.
• Contact colleagues in their group of colleges to encourage a broad and diverse set of deserving nominees.
• Assist nominators, where deemed necessary, in preparing a strong nomination.
• Review nominations from the prior selection year and approve eligible repeat nominees for exceptions to the three-year eligibility rule.
• These activities shall be completed consistent with a call for nominations usually by September 15 of each year and a deadline for nominations usually no later than November 1.

b. Create a short list of candidates for whom letters of reference will be solicited.

• Select a subgroup of nominees based on the university-wide criteria, no greater than twelve, for whom reference letters will be solicited and who will then be presented for final selection. The committee will be provided with the nomination file and curriculum vitae for review for each nominee.
• Forward the committee’s recommendations to the Senior Vice President usually no later than December 15 so that the Senior Vice President can solicit letters to be included in the nominee’s packet.

c. Make recommendations to the Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs for new Distinguished Professors.

• Review all of the nomination packets of the nomination finalists.
• The nomination packets will include the nomination letter, a CV, and up to six letters of reference as described above.
• At the conclusion of the discussion of all candidates, the committee will rank all candidates.
• The committee will provide recommendations to the Executive Vice President usually no later than March 1.

F. The Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs will confer with the Senior Vice President for Health Sciences and the President on the recommendations.

G. Recommendations approved by the President will be sent to the Academic Senate and the Board of Trustees for appropriate action.
1. Call for nominations will be issued usually no later than September 15.
2. Nomination letters and curriculum vitae must be submitted for any candidate by a deadline selected by the Executive Vice President, which usually will be no later than November 1.
3. The Distinguished Professor Advisory Committee will forward a short list of twelve finalists usually no later than December 15, at which time reference letters will be requested.
4. The committee will forward its recommendations to the Executive Vice President usually no later than March 1.
5. A final decision selecting Distinguished Professors will be made by the Executive Vice President, usually no later than March 31.

*Distinguished Professor Emeritus Maurice Abravanel
School of Music (Deceased)

Distinguished Professor Robert Adler
S.J. Quinney College of Law

*Distinguished Professor Emeritus Irwin Altman

Department of Psychology

Distinguished Professor RonNell Andersen Jones
S.J. Quinney College of Law

Distinguished Professor Scott L. Anderson
Department of Chemistry *

Distinguished Professor Emeritus Joseph D. Andrade
Departments of Bioengineering & Materials Science and Engineering

Distinguished Professor Peter B. Armentrout
Department of Chemistry

*Distinguished Professor Emerita Bene C. Arnold
Department of Ballet (Deceased)

*Distinguished Professor Emeritus Aziz Atiya
Department of History (Deceased)
Distinguished Professor Brenda Bass
Department of Biochemistry

Distinguished Professor Margaret P. Battin
Department of Philosophy

Distinguished Professor Mary Beckerle
Department of Biology

Distinguished Professor Cynthia Berg
Department of Psychology

Distinguished Professor Mladen Bestvina
Department of Mathematics

*Distinguished Professor Emeritus Richard H. Boyd
Department of Chemical & Fuels Engineering and Department of Materials Science & Engineering (Deceased)

*Distinguished Professor Emerita Ellen Bromberg
Department of Modern Dance

Distinguished Professor Francis H. Brown
Department of Geology & Geophysics (Deceased)

Distinguished Professor Richard Brown
Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering, and Kahlert School of Computing

Distinguished Professor Cynthia Burrows
Department of Chemistry

Distinguished Professor Saundra Buys
Department of Internal Medicine
Distinguished Professor Mario Capecchi
Departments of Human Genetics & Biology

*Distinguished Professor Emeritus Dana Carroll
Department of Biochemistry

Distinguished Professor Paul Cassell
S.J. Quinney College of Law

Distinguished Professor Thure E. Cerling
Department of Geology & Geophysics

*Distinguished Professor Emerita Marjorie Chan
Department of Geology & Geophysics

*Distinguished Professor Emeritus David Chapman
Department of Geology & Geophysics (Deceased)

*Distinguished Professor Emeritus Eric Charnov
Department of Biology

Distinguished Professor Vincent Cheng
Department of English

Distinguished Professor MaryAnn Christison
Department of Linguistics

*Distinguished Professor Emerita Elaine Cohen
School of Computing

Distinguished Professor Katharine Coles
Department of English

*Distinguished Professor Phyllis Coley
Department of Biology

Distinguished Professor Jorge Contreras
S. J. Quinney College of Law
Distinguished Professor M. Denise Dearing
Department of Biology

Distinguished Professor Lisa Diamond
Division of Gender Studies and Department of Psychology

Distinguished Professor Kathleen Digre
Department of Neurology

*Distinguished Professor Emeritus Kenneth L. DeVries
Department of Mechanical Engineering

*Distinguished Professor Emeritus Charles E. Dibble
Department of Anthropology (Deceased)
*Distinguished Professor Emeritus Alexei L. Efros
Department of Physics

Distinguished Professor James R. Ehleringer
Department of Biology

Distinguished Professor Reid Ewing
Department of City + Metropolitan Planning

*Distinguished Professor Emeritus Henry Eyring
Department of Chemistry (Deceased)
Distinguished Professor Julio Facelli
Department of Biomedical Informatics

*Distinguished Professor Emeritus Paul C. Fife
Department of Mathematics (Deceased)

*Distinguished Professor Emeritus Jefferson B. Fordham
S. J. Quinney College of Law (Deceased)

Distinguished Professor Leslie Francis
S. J. Quinney College of Law & Department of Philosophy

Distinguished Professor Julie Fritz
Department of Physical Therapy & Athletic Training

Distinguished Professor Cynthia Furse
Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering
Distinguished Professor Eric Garland
College of Social Work

*Distinguished Professor Emeritus Raymond F. Gesteland
Department of Human Genetics

Distinguished Professor Hamid Ghandehari
Department of Molecular Pharmaceutics

Distinguished Professor J. Calvin Giddings
Department of Chemistry (Deceased)

Distinguished Professor Ken Golden
Department of Mathematics

Distinguished Professor Louis S. Goodman
Department of Pharmacology (Deceased)

Distinguished Professor David Grainger
Department of Pharmaceutics and Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Department of Bioengineering

*Distinguished Professor Emeritus David M. Grant
Department of Chemistry (Deceased)
Distinguished Professor Christopher Hacon
Department of Mathematics

Distinguished Professor Gregory Hageman
Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences

*Distinguished Professor Emeritus Charles Hansen
School of Computing

*Distinguished Professor Emeritus Michael Hardman
Department of Special Education

Distinguished Professor Henry Harpending
Department of Anthropology (Deceased)

Distinguished Professor Joel M. Harris
Department of Chemistry

*Distinguished Professor Emeritus Marouf Hasian
Department of Communication

Distinguished Professor Kristen Hawkes
Department of Anthropology

*Distinguished Professor Emeritus Frederick I. Herzberg
Department of Management (Deceased)

*Distinguished Professor Emeritus John B. Hibbs, Jr.
Department of Internal Medicine

*Distinguished Professor William I. Higuchi
Department of Pharmaceutics & Pharmaceutical Chemistry

Distinguished Professor Christopher Hill
Department of Biochemistry

Distinguished Professor Eric Hinderaker
Department of History
*Distinguished Professor Emeritus Chris Ireland
Department of Medicinal Chemistry
Distinguished Professor Stephen Jacobsen
Department of Mechanical Engineering (Deceased)

*Distinguished Professor Jesse D. Jennings
Department of Anthropology (Deceased)

Distinguished Professor Chris Johnson
School of Computing

Distinguished Professor Erik Jorgensen
Department of Biology
Distinguished Professor Kimberly Kaphingst
Department of Communication

*Distinguished Professor Gary Keck
Department of Chemistry

*Distinguished Professor Emeritus James P. Keener
Department of Mathematics

Distinguished Professor Robert Keiter
S.J. Quinney College of Law

Distinguished Professor Davar Khoshnevisan
Department of Mathematics

Distinguished Professor David Kieda
Department of Physics & Astronomy

Distinguished Professor Sung Wan Kim
Department of Pharmaceutics & Pharmaceutical Chemistry
(Deceased)

*Distinguished Professor Emeritus Willem J. Kolff
Departments of Surgery & Internal Medicine
(Deceased)

Distinguished Professor Jindrich Kopecek
Departments of Pharmaceutics and Pharmaceutical Chemistry & Bioengineering

Distinguished Professor Beth Krensky
Department of Art & Art History

*Distinguished Professor Gerald Krueger
Department of Dermatology
*Distinguished Professor Emeritus K. Gordon Lark
Department of Biology
(Deceased)

*Distinguished Professor Emeritus Mark F. Leppert
Department of Human Genetics

Distinguished Professor Feng Liu
Department of Materials Science & Engineering

*Distinguished Professor Emeritus Eugene C. Loh
Department of Physics
(Deceased)

*Distinguished Professor Emeritus Fritz W. Luty
Department of Physics
(Deceased)
*Distinguished Professor Emeritus Robert Marc
Department of Ophthalmology

*Distinguished Professor Emeritus Sterling M. McMurrin
Department of History
(Deceased)

*Distinguished Professor Emeritus Jan Miller
Department of Metallurgical Engineering

*Distinguished Professor Emeritus Joel S. Miller
Department of Chemistry

Distinguished Professor Elijah Millgram
Department of Philosophy

Distinguished Professor Graeme W. Milton
Department of Mathematics

Distinguished Professor Shelley Minteer
Department of Chemistry

Distinguished Professor Valeria Molinero
Department of Chemistry

Distinguished Professor Kathleen Mooney
College of Nursing

Distinguished Professor Isabel Moreira
Department of History

*Distinguished Professor Emerita Janice Morse
College of Nursing

Distinguished Professor Michael Morse
Department of Chemistry
*Distinguished Professor Emeritus Richard Normann
Departments of Bioengineering & Ophthalmology
*Distinguished Professor Emeritus Alex G. Oblad
Department of Metallurgy and Fuels Engineering
(Deceased)

*Distinguished Professor Emeritus James O’Connell
Department of Anthropology

Distinguished Professor Baldomero M. Olivera
Department of Biology

Distinguished Professor Randall Olson
Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences

Distinguished Professor Kent Ono
Department of Communication

*Distinguished Professor Emerita Anne G. Osborn
Department of Radiology

Distinguished Professor Jacqueline Osherow
Department of English
Distinguished Professor John (Sandy) Parkinson
Department of Biology

*Distinguished Professor Emeritus Robert W. Parry
Department of Chemistry
(Deceased)

Distinguished Professor David W. Pershing
Department of Chemical & Fuels Engineering

Distinguished Professor Marc Porter
Department of Chemical Engineering

*Distinguished Professor Emeritus C. Dale Poulter
Department of Chemistry
*Distinguished Professor Emeritus Martin Rechsteiner
Department of Biochemistry

Distinguished Professor Paisley Rekdal
Department of English

*Distinguished Professor Emeritus Morris Rosenzweig
School of Music

*Distinguished Professor Emeritus John R. Roth
Department of Biology

Distinguished Professor Jared Rutter
Department of Biochemistry
Distinguished Professor Eric Schmidt
Department of Medicinal Chemistry

*Distinguished Professor Emeritus Gary C. Schoenwolf
Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy

Distinguished Professor Matthew Sigman
Department of Chemistry

*Distinguished Professor Emeritus Ken R. Smith
Department of Family & Consumer Studies and Pedigree & Population Sciences

Distinguished Professor Timothy Smith
Department of Psychology

Distinguished Professor William Smith
Department of Education, Culture & Society, and Division of Ethnic Studies

Distinguished Professor Hong Yong Sohn
Department of Metallurgical Engineering

*Distinguished Professor Emeritus Pierre Sokolsky
Department of Physics & Astronomy

Distinguished Professor D. Kip Solomon
Department of Geology & Geophysics

Distinguished Professor Peter Stang
Department of Chemistry

Distinguished Professor Brent Steele
Department of Political Science

Distinguished Professor Kathryn Bond Stockton
Department of English

Distinguished Professor Gerald Stringfellow
Departments of Electrical and Computer Engineering & Materials and Science Engineering

Distinguished Professor Scott Summers
Department of Nutrition & Integrative Physiology

Distinguished Professor Wesley Sundquist
Department of Biochemistry
Distinguished Professor Samuel D. Thurman
S.J. Quinney College of Law
(Deceased)
Distinguished Professor Bert Uchino
Department of Psychology

Distinguished Professor Cornelia Ulrich
Department of Population Health Sciences
Distinguished Professor Z. Valy Vardeny
Department of Physics

Distinguished Professor Michael Varner
Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology

Distinguished Professor Anil Virkar
Department of Materials Science & Engineering
*Distinguished Professor Emeritus Milton E. Wadsworth
Department of Metallurgy & Metallurgical Engineering
(Deceased)

*Distinguished Professor Emeritus Cheves T. Walling
Department of Chemistry
(Deceased)

*Distinguished Professor Emeritus Paul H. Wender
Department of Psychiatry
(Deceased)

Distinguished Professor Henry S. White
Department of Chemistry

Distinguished Professor Pauline Wiessner
Department of Anthropology

Distinguished Professor Karen Wilcox
Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology

*Distinguished Professor Emeritus Maxwell M. Wintrobe
Department of Internal Medicine
(Deceased)

Distinguished Professor Francis D. Wormuth
Department of Political Science
(Deceased)

*Distinguished Professor Emeritus Yong-Shi Wu
Department of Physics
Distinguished Professor Michael Zhdanov
Department of Geology & Geophysics

Academic Affairs Office of the Executive Vice President

Nominations due October 14th, 2025

Distinguished Professor Guidelines

Distinguished Professor Nomination Submission

University of Utah Distinguished Professors List

This list excludes Distinguished Professors who have moved on to another institution.