In Review

The University honored the achievements of several faculty members during the 2014–15 academic year with ceremonies to mark their appointments to named professorships. Established through the generosity of University alumni and friends, the professorships are part of a long-standing tradition to celebrate the national stature of Rochester’s faculty.

Establishing endowed faculty positions is a key priority for The Meliora Challenge, the University’s fundraising initiative that continues through June 30, 2016. As of the fiscal year that ended June 30, a total of 93 new positions had been established during the Campaign. In 2014, the Campaign’s original goal of 80 endowed faculty positions was increased to 100.

Mark Bils

Hazel Fyfe Professor in Economics

A professor in the Department of Economics and a research associate of the National Bureau of Economic Research, Bils has established a distinguished career as an economist.

A member of the faculty since 1985, he has examined topics such as how wage-setting and pricing contribute to business-cycle fluctuations and measuring the importance of new and better consumer products. He is the associate editor of the American Economic Journal: Macroeconomics.

An anonymous donor’s bequest honoring the Fyfe Family created the professorship, named in honor of Hazel Fyfe Gallaher ’46.

Sally Norton

Independence Chair in Nursing and Palliative Care

A nationally recognized expert on palliative care, Norton has been the principal investigator or coprincipal investigator on several National Institutes of Health–funded studies that have examined the communication strategies used by clinicians to discuss end-of-life issues.

Codirector for research in the Division of Palliative Care in the Department of Medicine, Norton is a fellow in the American Academy of Nursing.

The professorship was created by the Independence Foundation, which is committed to supporting organizations that provide direct services and support—in broad areas of cultural and arts programming, legal aid, and health and human resources—to those who would otherwise lack access. It’s the second professorship established by the Foundation at the School of Nursing.

Gary Morrow

Benefactor Distinguished Professor

An authority in cancer control and survivorship, Morrow ’77M (Flw), ’88 (MS) is credited with building the Cancer Control Program at the Medical Center. That work has resulted in the selection of the James P. Wilmot Cancer Center as one of only two cancer centers in the country chosen by the NIH as a hub for a national network of investigators, cancer care providers, academic institutions, and other organizations.

A professor in the Departments of Psychiatry and Surgery at the School of Medicine and Dentistry, Morrow has published widely on topics related to the physical and physiological effects of cancer treatment.

The professorship was established by an anonymous donor.

Ray Dorsey

David M. Levy Professor in Neurology

The director of the Center for Human Experimental Therapeutics and the Center for Health and Technology, Dorsey ’07M (Flw) is considered one of the nation’s leading clinicians exploring the application of telemedicine models to treat patients who have Parkinson’s disease.

Widely recognized for his research, Dorsey is part of a Medical Center team that is pioneering the use of smartphone technology that allows patients with Parkinson’s to track their symptoms in real time and share the information with researchers.

The professorship was funded by a gift from Levy’s estate to honor his support for the Department of Neurology and research related to Parkinson’s.

Ruth Lawrence

Northumberland Trust Professor in Pediatrics

Lawrence ’49M (MD), ’58M (Res) has led a distinguished career as a pediatrician, clinical toxicologist, and neonatologist. In addition to helping pioneer neonatology as a specialty, she is an international authority on breastfeeding and a poison control expert.

The director of the Breastfeeding and Human Lactation Study Center, which she founded in 1985, and the author of Breastfeeding: A Guide for the Medical Profession, now in its eighth edition, Lawrence was the founding member and past president of the Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine.

The professorship was established by an anonymous donor.

Richard Phipps

Wright Family Research Professor

Widely cited for his research on pulmonary disease, Phipps holds faculty positions in the Departments of Environmental Medicine; Medicine; Microbiology and Immunology; Obstetrics and Gynecology; Ophthalmology; Pathology and Laboratory medicine; and Pediatrics.

Phipps has also been recognized for his contributions to understanding B-cell lymphoma, lung diseases, and several diseases with immunity and inflammatory components.

The professorship was established through an estate gift from Chauncey and Simone Wright to support a faculty member conducting medical research at the School of Medicine and Dentistry.

Krystel Huxlin

James V. Aquavella, M.D. Professor in Ophthalmology

An internationally known ophthalmologist, Huxlin is the director of research at UR Medicine’s David and Ilene Flaum Eye Institute and has secondary appointments in the Departments of Neurobiology and Anatomy and Brain and Cognitive Sciences.

A member of the faculty since 1995, Huxlin focuses her work on understanding how the adult visual system repairs itself.

The professorship was established through a gift from Aquavella, a noted ophthalmologist who has been a member of the faculty since 1977. It is one of two endowed positions he created in 2013 in memory of his late wife, Kay, a nurse and administrator, who was committed to the establishment of the Flaum Eye Institute.

James Aquavella

Catherine E. Aquavella Distinguished Professor in Ophthalmology

A clinician and researcher in the University’s Flaum Eye Institute for more than four decades, Aquavella is a specialist in cornea and external eye disease. He was the first fellowship-trained corneal surgeon in the United States.

The second of two endowed positions Aquavella established in honor of his late wife, Kay, a nurse and administrator at the Flaum Eye Institute, the professorship will be held by Aquavella in an honorary capacity until the next professor is selected.

Henry Kautz

Robin and Tim Wentworth Director of the Goergen Institute for Data Science

The founding director of the University’s Goergen Institute for Data Science and former chair of the Department of Computer Science, Kautz ’87 (PhD) has held leadership positions at Kodak Research and AT&T Laboratories.

A fellow of the Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence, Kautz conducts research in social and public health, natural language learning, pervasive computing, search algorithms, and assistive technology.

The position was established through a gift from University Trustee Tim Wentworth and his wife, Robin. One of the couple’s daughters is a member of the Class of 2016 and another graduated in 2011. Wentworth Atrium in Raymond F. LeChase Hall, the home of the Warner School of Education, is also named in recognition of the couple’s support for the University.

Endowed Positions Established

Several professorships were also established by alumni and friends during the past year.

Tansukh, Sarla and Rajesh Ganatra Professorship in Pediatric Cardiac Surgery

Established by Tansukh Ganatra, a former vice chairman and CEO of North Carolina–based US LEC, his wife, Sarla, and his son, Rajesh

Lawrence N. Chessin, M.D. ’58 and Rita R. Chessin Professorship in Infectious Diseases

Established by Lawrence Chessin ’58M (MD), a retired infectious disease specialist at the Medical Center, and his wife, Rita

Donald M. Foster, M.D. Distinguished Professorship in Biostatistics and Donald M. Foster, M.D. Professorship in Biomedical Genetics

Established through the estate of Donald Foster ’50M (MD)

Martha M. Freeman, M.D. Professorship in Biomedical Genetics

Established through the estate of Martha Freeman ’44, ’45N, ’51M (MD)

Albert and Phyllis Ritterson Professorship

Established through the estate of Phyllis Ritterson ’55M (MS)

Edward A. and Alma Vollertsen Rykenboer Professorship in Neurology

Established through the estate of Edward Rykenboer, Class of 1912

Marjorie B. Morris Endowed Professorship in Cardiac Surgery

Established by Marjorie Morris, of Clifton Springs, New York

Professorship in Medical Education

Established by an anonymous donor