One of the highest honors that can be bestowed upon a member of a university faculty is an endowed chair. Such a designation recognizes eminence in a field of study that reflects outstanding contributions to a discipline and national and international recognition for those contributions. Chairs that are endowed in perpetuity provide a unique and lasting source of support to individuals who have achieved national prominence in patient care, investigative research, and teaching. An endowed chair also confers special recognition upon the principal donor, since the chair carries the donor’s name.
To be considered for an endowed chair at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, a faculty member must be recommended for the honor by the department chair and confirmed by the executive committee of the School of Medicine. At the time of the formal appointment of the faculty member to the chair, the university provost presents the honoree with a specially crafted endowment medal, and an inaugural lecture is delivered.
In some instances, the candidate for an endowed chair is already a member of the faculty. Such academic appointments are important and invaluable tools in recognizing and retaining talented faculty members. In some cases, an endowed chair can be used to assist in the recruitment of a highly respected faculty member who will contribute to our mission of excellence in patient care, research, and education, and who will help train the next generation of neurosurgeons.
The Department of Neurological Surgery at the University of Pittsburgh has eight endowed professorships. They are...
- Lars Leksell Chair, L. Dade Lunsford, MD
- A. Leland Albright Chair, Ian Pollack, MD
- Peter J. Jannetta Chair, Paul Gardner, MD
- Peter E. Sheptak Chair, Peter C. Gerszten, MD, MPH
- The Neurotrauma Chair, C. Edward Dixon, PhD
- Walter Dandy Chair, Robert Friedlander, MD
- Stuart Niles Rowe Chair, Jorge A. González-Martínez, MD, PhD
- L. Dade Lunsford Chair, Costas Hadjipanayis, MD, PhD
A fully endowed chair provides annual benefit to the holder of the chair by facilitating his or her work within the department. Current holders of endowed chairs in the department have achieved national and international recognition for their clinical, research, and teaching abilities.