Endow a Professorship or Chair
Louisiana has a unique opportunity to impact higher education through the endowed professorships and eminent scholar chairs matching program of the Louisiana Board of Regents.
Endowed professorships and chairs at LSUS promote faculty excellence in research and teaching, and provide permanent funding in support of these scholarly efforts.
These endowments enable LSUS to recruit and retain world-class faculty and assure that the university and the community benefit by providing cutting edge learning.
Understanding Professorships & Chairs
Chairs, such as The American Studies Endowed Chair at LSUS, help provide programs that enhance the educational experience for many students. Dr. William Pederson heads the American Studies Program and says, “More than 500 students have participated in the LSUS ‘Washington Semester’ over the past 22 years. It gives our students a competitive professional and career edge.”
From the very first, Washington Semester students have set a standard for success. Bradley S. Kemp, who participated in the first Washington Semester in 1983, is now the FedEx manager for European Operations. Darrell Landreaux is a lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Air Force. Reed Dickens has served as Assistant Press Secretary to President George W. Bush and currently serves as Communications Director for California Governor Arnold Schwartzenegger’s Reform Package Committee. Royal Alexander graduated from law school and serves as the chief of staff to Congressman Rodney Alexander (no relation). These are some of the routes to success students have taken. Many of them credit the Washington Semester as the most memorable event of their undergraduate years.
The AEP SWEPCO LaPREP Professorship is instrumental in continuing the LaPREP Program at LSUS. Dr. Carlos Spaht, head of the program, recalls “In the fall of 1989, I was told a story about an African American male, the best student in his 7th grade accelerated class, who had dropped out of school, joined a gang and was hooked on drugs. LaPREP began in 1992 and has been very successful. None of its participants has dropped out of high school and all who have been eligible have enrolled in college. Moreover, approximately 90 percent of those in college have majored in math or science.”
The Regents provide matching funds to endow chairs at $1 and $2 million levels and professorships at $100,000 and $200,000 with a 60/40 ratio.
Donors who create professorships and chairs with a 60 percent donation can name and designate the use of the endowment. Many donors use this opportunity to honor family members or others who have been influential in their lives.
Professorships or chairs can be funded by donors over a five-year period. Endowments which are originally established as professorships can be upgraded to super professorships or eminent scholar chairs.
All endowments are professionally managed within the LSUS Foundation and only a portion of the earnings are distributed for academic support. Also, a portion of the annual earnings are reinvested to increase the principle in the endowment.
LSUS students are the ultimate beneficiaries of these visionary donations because they are provided access to faculty members who are leaders in their fields.
LSUS Chairs & Professorships
- Abe Sadoff Distinguished Chair of Bioinformatices, College of Sciences
Established in 2007 through the estate of Abe I. Sadoff. - AEP SWEPCO LaPREP Professorship in the College of Sciences
Established in 2001 by Southwestern Electric Power Company. Dr. Carlos Spaht II, professor of mathematics and director of the LaPREP program, currently holds this professorship. - American Studies Distinguished Chair
Established in 1994 by Norman and Peggy Kinsey. Dr. William D. Pederson, professor of political science and director of the International Lincoln Center for American Studies, currently holds this chair. - Bank One Jerry Boughton Professorship in the College of Business Administration
Established in 2004 by Bank One. Dr. Chengho Hsieh, professor of finance, currently holds this professorship. - BellSouth Corporation Professorship in Business Administration
Established in 2004 by the BellSouth Corporation. Dr. Binshan Lin, professor of management, currently holds this professorship. - Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Louisiana Endowed Professorship, College of Business
Established in 2008. This professorship is currently held by Dr. Wolfgang Hinck, associate professor of marketing at LSUS. - Bobbie C. Hicks Super Professorship for the Pioneer Heritage Center Authors in April Program
Established in 2007 by Bobbie Cates Hicks. This professorship is currently held by Marty Young, Director of the Pioneer Heritage Center. - Capital One Endowed Professorship, College of Education
Established in 2007. This professorship is currently unfilled. - Dalton J. Woods Family Endowed Professorship in the College of Education And Human Development
Established in 2005 by the family of Dalton J. Woods. This professorship is currently unfilled. - Don and Earlene Coleman Red River Watershed Management Institute Professorship in the College of Sciences
Established in 2003 by Don and Earlene Coleman. Gary M. Hanson, assistant professor of environmental science and director of the LSUS Red River Watershed Management Institute, currently holds this professorship. - Dr. Dalton L. and Peggy J. Cloud Professorship in Communications
Established in 2008. The current holder is Mary Jarzabek, Instructor of Communications. - Dr. Norman A. Dolch Super Professorship in American Humanics, College of Liberal Arts
Established in 2002 by George A. Khoury Jr and renamed in 2007 after Dr. Norman A. Dolch, professor of sociology and director of the Institute for Human Services and Public Policy, longtime holder of the professorship. Dr. Helen Wise is the current holder. - Dr. Richard K. Speairs Professorship in Field Biology in the College of Sciences
Established in 2002 by Dr. Richard K. and Betty Speairs. Dr. Beverly Burden, associate professor of biology, currently holds this professorship. - Elmer and Barbara Simon Professorship for Excellence in Teaching (a university wide professorship)
Established in 2000 by B. Bruce and Steven Simon. Dr. Lorraine Krajewski, professor of management, currently holds this professorship. - George A. Khoury Jr. Super Professorship in Space Science
Established in 2008. The current holder is Dr. Laura Whitlock. - George and Regina Khoury Professorship in the College of Sciences
Established in 2002 by George Khoury. Dr. Deborah K. Shepherd, assistant professor and chair of the Department of Mathematics, currently holds this professorship. - Goodloe Stuck Endowed Professorship for the Department of Psychology, College of Education and Human Development
Established in 2007. This professorship is currently unfilled. - Hubert Humphreys Endowed Professorship of History, College of Liberal Arts
Established in 2007. The current holder is Dr. Cheryl White. - India Studies Super Professorship, College of Liberal Arts
Established in 1995 by the India Association of Shreveport and enhanced to a super professorship in 2008. Dr. Sanjay T. Menon, assistant professor of management, currently holds this professorship. - James K. Elrod Super Professorship in Health Administration
Originally established as a professorship in 2000 by the Willis-Knighton Health System Board of Trustees and upgraded to a super professorship in 2006. Dr. John L. Fortenberry Jr., associate professor of health administration, currently holds this professorship. - Joe and Abby Averett Professorship in Business
Established in 2004 by Joe and Abby Averett. Dr. Karen James currently holds this professorship. - Kilpatrick Life Insurance Company Endowed Chair for Insurance and Financial Services
Established in 2005 by Virginia K. Shehee. Dr. Harvey W. Rubin, professor of finance and director of the Louisiana Consortium for Insurance and Financial Services, currently holds this chair. - LSUS Alumni Association Vincent J. Marsala Endowed Professorship in Teaching Excellence
Established in 2005 by the LSUS Alumni Association. This professorship is currently held by Dr. Wolfgang Hinck. - LSUS Endowed Professorship for the LSUS Debate Program
Established in 2008 by an anonymous donor. The current holder is Trey Gibson, Instructor of Communications and Director of Forensics at LSUS. - Mary Anne and Leonard Selber Endowed Professorship for History and Social Sciences in the College of Liberal Arts
Established in 2006 by friends and members of the Selber family. This professorship is currently held by Dr. Gary Joiner. - O. Delton Harrison, Jr. Endowed Professorship for the Master of Liberal Arts Program
Established in 2008. This professorship is currently held by Dr. Helen Taylor, professor of English and director of the Master of Liberal Arts program at LSUS. - Oscar Cloyd Real Estate Super Professorship in the College of Business Administration
Established in 1999 by the Shreveport-Bossier Board of Realtors. Dr. Douglas S. Bible, professor of finance and chair of the LSUS Department of Economics and Finance, currently holds this professorship. - Ruth H. Noel Chair for the Curatorship of the James Smith Noel Collection
Established in 2003 by Ruth Herring Noel. Dr. Robert C. Leitz III, professor of English, currently holds this chair. - Sybil T. and J. Frederick Patten Professorship for Excellence in Teaching in the College of Liberal Arts
Established in 2003 by Sybil T. and J. Frederick Patten. Dr. La Wanda Blakeney currently holds this professorship. - Wesson-Bridger Endowed Professorship in Teacher Education in the College of Education and Human Development
Established in 2005 by Dr. Gale Bridger, former dean of the College of Education and Human Development, honoring her parents, Corrie B. and George D. Wesson, and her mother-in-law, Nettie Jones Bridger. Dr. Linda Easley, professor of education, currently holds this professorship. - William B. Wiener, Jr. Endowed Professorship of Archives and Historic Preservation in Noel Memorial Library
Established in 2007. The current holder is Dr. Laura McLemore.
Chairs & Professorships Fully Funded by Donors
&
Waiting Louisiana Board of Regents Match
Partially Funded Professorships
- Bruce and Steve Simon Endowed Professorship
- Dr. Lisa Burke Endowed Bioinformatics Professorship in the College of Sciences
LSUS Foundation
Louisiana State University in Shreveport
Administration Building, Suite 262
(318) 797-5257
lsusfoundation@lsus.edu

