The honorific title of University Distinguished Professor is the highest achievement a faculty member can earn, and demonstrates the high quality of scholarship underway at Texas A&M University. University Distinguished Professors are preeminent authorities in their academic disciplines. They are internationally recognized by their peers for their research and scholarship, having made impactful, transformational contributions to their fields of endeavor.
- Guidelines
- Nominator Request for External Letters
- Email from College Dean to Faculty Calling for Nominations
Entitlements
- Award recipients will be named University Distinguished Professors, but will also keep their current titles and ranks; i.e., Professor of ‘Academic Department.’
- The University Distinguished Professor honorific title is bestowed in perpetuity, as long as the faculty member remains in good standing.
- A bursary fund is provided to new University Distinguished Professors.
- One A&M parking tag is provided as a supplement to an existing paid parking permit.
Selection Committee Makeup
The University Distinguished Professor Award Selection Committee is composed of nine University Distinguished Professors serving staggered three-year terms. The members of the award committee must be from a diverse set of colleges/schools. A member must not be reappointed for three years after their term is completed.
Executive Committee
The Executive Committee of Distinguished Professors consists of 12 Distinguished Professors. Each year, three are elected for a three year term.
The current Executive Committee members are:
- Joerg Steiner, Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences (Chair)
- Fances Ligler, Department of Biomedical Engineering (Vice Chair)
- Robert Chapkin, Department of Nutrition
- Catherine Eckel, Department of Economics
- John Gladysz, Department of Chemistry
- Valerie Hudson, Department of International Affairs
- Israel Liberzon, Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences
- Bani Mallick, Department of Statistics
- Huyen Pham, Law
- J.N. Reddy, J. Mike Walker '66 Department of Mechanical Engineering
- B. Don Russell, Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering
- Josh Wand, Department of Biochemistry & Biophysics