Three Faculty Members Become New Endowed Chairs
President Charles Dougherty announced the following new appointments for five-year terms to endowed faculty chairs.
Dr. Anne M. Burrows, professor of physical therapy, Rangos School of Health Sciences
Anna Rangos Rizakus Endowed Chair in Health Science and Ethics
Burrows’ research focuses on primate feeding biomechanics, primate facial expression and its evolution, and non-vocal communication. This foundation allows Burrows to research topics such as the muscular basis of facial expressions, evolutionary comparisons of facial structures across humans and other species, and gender differences in bone structures.
A lifetime member of the American Society for Mammalogists, Burrows also is involved with the American Association of Anatomists, the International Society of Primatology, among other organizations. She has received the Rangos School award for Excellence in Scholarship.
Dr. Ellen Gawalt, professor of chemistry and biochemistry, Bayer School of Natural and Environmental Sciences
Hillman Endowed Chair
Gawalt, a member of the McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine at the University of Pittsburgh, leads a research group examining the surface chemistry of biomaterials and their integration into the human body. Modifying the surface at a molecular level provides control over the interactions between the material and the tissue. Gawalt’s main project is working to modify the surface of implants to reduce bacteria and mitigate infection, while simultaneously enhancing healthy bone cell attachment and growth.
A winner of the University Creative Teaching Award and a two-time recipient of the Bayer School Excellence in Teaching award, Gawalt is active in the Society for Biomaterials and American Chemical Society, among other organizations, and mentors the Bayer Scholars Program.
Dr. Rick McCown, professor of education, School of Education
Rev. Pierre Schouver, C.S.Sp., Endowed Chair in Mission
McCown has served in the past as interim dean of the School of Education and as chair of the Department of Educational Foundations and Leadership. His research focuses on the teaching-learning process and achieving social justice through collaborations across the boundaries of school, academy and community. He is Duquesne’s principal investigator for the Carnegie Project on the Education Doctorate and co-editor of the project’s White Paper Forum.
McCown has served as Senior Improvement Research Fellow for the Carnegie Project, a developer for the Leaders Supporting Diverse Learners project of the University Council for Educational Administration in partnership with the Southern Poverty Law Center. An inductee into Duquesne’s Research Hall of Fame, McCown has received the President’s Award for Excellence in Teaching and has been recognized by the American Educational Research Association and the Pennsylvania Society of Teacher Scholars, among other organizations.
Two continued appointments are:
- Dr. Alan W. Seadler, Edward V. Fritzky Chair in Biotechnology Leadership, for five additional years
- Dr. Robert P. Sroufe, Thomas and Marie C. Murrin Chair in Global Competitiveness, Schools of Business, for three additional years.