Named positions celebrate the contributions of professors as researchers, scholars, and teachers.
Several faculty members at the University of Rochester were appointed to named professorships in the second half of 2022. An honor designed to recognize the national stature of a professor’s work, the named positions are part of a long-standing tradition to celebrate the work of Rochester’s faculty as researchers, scholars, and teachers. Appointments included:
Peter Christensen
Peter Christensen, a professor of art and art history, has been jointly appointed as Arthur Satz Professor of the Humanities. He retains his joint appointments as a professor of visual and cultural studies and as the Ani and Mark Gabrellian Director of the Humanities Center.
Christensen specializes in the modern architectural and environmental history of Europe and the Middle East.
The professorship is among several humanities professorships named for the late Arthur Satz ’51, a music major and the late president emeritus at the New York School of Interior Design.
David Higgs
David Higgs, a professor of organ and chair of the Department of Organ, has been jointly appointed as Minehan Family Professor.
One of America’s leading concert organists, Higgs performs extensively throughout the United States and abroad and he performs, teaches, and adjudicates at festivals and competitions throughout the world.
The endowed professorship was created by a gift from University Trustee Cathy Minehan ’68, former president and CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston.
Yukun Liu
Yukun Liu, an assistant professor of finance, has been appointed as the William H. Meckling Assistant Professor of Business Administration.
Liu’s primary research fields include asset pricing, labor and finance, and fintech.
The professorship, which is named for the late William Meckling, dean emeritus of the Simon Business School, supports a professorship in business administration at Simon.
Jiebo Luo
Jiebo Luo, a professor of computer science, has been jointly appointed as the Albert Arendt Hopeman Professor of Engineering. Luo retains his joint appointment as a professor of electrical and computer engineering.
Luo’s research covers computer vision, machine learning, data mining, social media, and biomedical informatics.
The engineering professorship honors the late Albert Arendt Hopeman, president of A.W. Hopeman and Sons, the general contractor of the River Campus from 1927 to 1930. The company also built Eastman Theatre and the Eastman School of Music.
Joyce McDonough
Joyce McDonough, a professor of linguistics, has been jointly appointed as the Richard L. Turner Professor.
McDonough’s research focuses on the phonetic and phonological structure of endangered or under-resourced languages and dialects.
The professorship was established in 1988 by Nancy Turner in honor of her husband, Richard Turner, former president and chief executive officer of Schlegel Corp. It supports humanities faculty in the School of Arts & Sciences at the University who exemplify Turner’s broad view of scholarship and the world.
