Inaugural and New Endowed Chair Holders, Other Faculty Recognized

The commitment of Duquesne faculty was recognized at the Sept. 12 Convocation with the announcement of an inaugural and a new endowed chair holder, the Beard Award for Leadership in Ethics, three President’s Awards for Faculty Excellence and 25-year service awards presented by Provost Dr. Timothy Austin.

Dr. Jeffry D. Madura

Lambert F. Minucci Endowed Chair in Engineering and Computational Sciences
Dr. Jeffry D. Madura, a professor in the chemistry and biochemistry department of the Bayer School of Natural and Environmental Sciences, was selected as Duquesne’s first Lambert F. Minucci Endowed Chair in Engineering and Computational Sciences. He will serve a five-year appointment.

Madura, former chair of the chemistry department and a member of Duquesne’s Research Hall of Fame, has received more than $10 million in external research funding in his career at the University, delving into computational chemistry and biophysics models.

The late Minucci made his career at PPG. A chemical engineer, Minucci received his undergraduate degree from Carnegie Tech after returning from the Army and earned his master’s in mathematics in 1970 at Duquesne after finding that he increasingly used computations and formulas in his work. The company still uses the forecast models for paint production created by Minucci, who generated his own risk analysis to guide his investments. While he has made many contributions to Duquesne over the years, the Minucci chair was established in his name through a $2 million endowment.

Dr. Diane Williams

Anna Rangos Rizakus Endowed Chair in Health Sciences and Ethics
Dr. Diane Williams was named the third holder of the Anna Rangos Rizakus Endowed Chair in Health Sciences and Ethics, which spearheads expanded University initiatives in health sciences and ethics.

Williams, associate professor of speech-language pathology in the Rangos School of Health Sciences, focuses on autism and language disorders, drawing volunteers from across the country to her studies.

Associated with the Autism Research Program at the University of Pittsburgh and the Center for Cognitive Brain Imaging at Carnegie Mellon University, Williams has worked on three National Institute of Child Health and Human Development grants as consortium principal investigator, co-principal investigator and co-director. She was principal investigator for a National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders study.

Williams, the program director of Duquesne’s Child Language Clinic, coordinates clinical services for children with a variety of language problems and teaches the language disorders coursework. She has worked in early intervention programs, preschool programs, community agencies, pediatric hospitals and university clinics.

The Anna Rangos Rizakus Chair is endowed through a gift from John Rangos Sr. in memory of his mother.

Dr. Kathleen Glenister Roberts

Eugene P. Beard Award for Leadership in Ethics
The recipient of the Eugene P. Beard Award for Leadership in Ethics is Dr. Kathleen Glenister Roberts, director of the University’s Honors College and associate professor in the Department of Communication and Rhetorical Studies.

President’s Awards for Faculty Excellence
This year’s winners for the President’s Awards for Faculty Excellence are:

  • Excellence in Scholarship: Dr. Ronald C. Arnett, chair and professor, Department of Communication and Rhetorical Studies, McAnulty College and Graduate School of Liberal Arts
  • Excellence in Service to the Mission: Dr. James E. Henderson, professor, Department of Educational Leadership, School of Education
  • Excellence in Teaching: Dr. John A. Pollock, associate professor, Department of Biological Sciences, Bayer School of Natural and Environmental Sciences.

25-year Awards
Faculty recognized for 25 years of service were:

  • Dr. Nicholas P. Cafardi, School of Law
  • Dr. Stuart M. Kurland, McAnulty College and Graduate School of Liberal Arts
  • Maureen Leonardo, School of Nursing
  • Dr. John E. Murray, Jr., School of Law
  • Dr. Lili Shashaani, McAnulty College and Graduate School of Liberal Arts.