College of Arts and Sciences
Alice D. Ba
Emma Smith Morris Professor
Political Science and International Relations
Research: Recent work has addressed the role of strategic narratives and the changing conditions of regional cooperation in Asia.
Wendy Bellion
Sewell C. Biggs Chair in American Art History
Art History
Research: Late colonial and early national United States, exploring American art within the cultural geographies of the British Atlantic world and modern Americas
The professorship was established in 1998 by Sewell C. Biggs and an additional gift from the Choptank Foundation. Mr. Biggs graduated from the University of Delaware in 1938 and was a philanthropist, world traveler and collector of fine and decorative art from the Delaware Valley Area. The Biggs Museum of American Art in Dover houses his collection, educating its visitors on the valuable cultural legacy of the region.
Richard Braun
Carl J. Rees Professor
Mathematical Sciences
Interests include the dynamics of the tear film on the surface of the eye. Also works on dynamics of thin fluid films, phase change in solids, liquids and gases.
The Carl J. Rees Math Fund was established in 1991 by the friends and family of Carl J. Rees ’67H, who spent his career at the University from 1920 until his retirement in 1967 as Professor of Mathematics. He also held several leadership positions, including department chair, Dean of the College of Graduate Studies, and Provost. He served his country in both World War I and World War II and was awarded the Medal of Freedom by General H. H. (Hap) Arnold for his work as an operations analyst.
James Brophy
Francis H. Squire Professor of History
History
Research: Modern European history, particularly the social and political history of 19th century Germany
The professorship honors Francis H. Squire, who joined the history department faculty in 1927 and served as dean of Arts and Sciences from 1945-56.
Joan L. Brown
Elias Ahuja Chair of Spanish
Languages, Literatures and Cultures
Research: Contemporary Spanish literature, canon formation, literature by women, second-language learning
Elias Ahuja, whose memory is honored by named professorships in Foreign Languages and Literatures, was born in Spain and represented the DuPont Co. in Chile in the early part of the 20th century.
Jinfa Cai
Kathleen and David Hollowell Professor of Mathematics Education
Mathematical Sciences
Research: Cognitive studies of the teaching and learning of mathematics, mathematical assessment, cross-cultural studies, problem solving and posing, and teacher education.
This named professorship is generously funded by David E. and Kathleen A. Hollowell and supports a position in the Department of Mathematical Sciences that recognizes a faculty member actively involved in teaching, research and service in the area of secondary school mathematics.
Rebecca Davis
Miller Family Endowed Early Career Professorship in History
History
Research: Histories of gender, sexuality, religion, and ethnicity in the United States during the 19th and 20th centuries
Mary Dozier
Unidel Amy Elizabeth du Pont Chair in Child Development
Psychology
Research: Early childhood experience and disruptions in foster care
The Unidel Amy E. du Pont Chair in Child Development, made possible by an endowment provided by the Unidel Foundation, is named for Amy du Pont, the youngest daughter of Eugene du Pont. Known as “Miss Amy,” she established the Unidel Foundation in 1939 to provide special gifts for the University for purposes that might be difficult to accomplish otherwise.
Tobin Driscoll
Unidel Professor of Mathematical Sciences
Mathematical Sciences
Research: Scientific computation, mathematical software, and applications of mathematics in the life sciences.
Unidel professorships are awarded by the Unidel Foundation, which was established by Amy E. du Pont, a noted sportswoman and philanthropist who supported women’s education at Delaware and bequeathed her estate to create the foundation. The Unidel Foundation makes grants to finance specific projects to enrich educational programs at UD.
John Ernest
Judge Hugh M. Morris Professor of English
English
Research: African American literary history
The Judge Hugh M. Morris Professorship was established through the estates of members of the Morris family. Judge Morris, an 1898 graduate who received an honorary degree in 1928, was a respected attorney and eminent jurist from Delaware who was appointed judge of the U.S. District Court by President Woodrow Wilson in 1919. He was a member of the UD Board of Trustees from 1929-59, serving as its president from 1939-59.
Xiang Gao
Trustees Distinguished Professor of Music
Music
Research: Multifaceted violinist and singer-song writer, considered one of the world’s leading concert violinists from China
Trustees Distinguished Professorships were created by the University’s Board of Trustees to recognize deserving senior members of the faculty.
George C. Hadjipanayis
Richard B. Murray Professor of Physics and Astronomy
Physics and Astronomy
Research: Pioneering work in the field of magnetic materials
The endowed professorship was established by Richard B. Murray, a former professor of physics and former UD provost.
Paul Head
Unidel Distinguished Professor of Music
Music
Research: Music education, conducting, teaching music through performance
Unidel professorships are awarded by the Unidel Foundation which was established by Amy E. du Pont, a noted sportswoman and philanthropist who supported women’s education at Delaware and bequeathed her estate to create the foundation. The Unidel Foundation makes grants to finance specific projects to enrich educational programs at UD.
Christine Leigh Heyrman
Robert W. and Shirley P. Grimble Professor of American History
History
Research: Early American social and cultural history
The professorship honors the late Robert W. and Shirley P. Grimble. Robert W. Grimble had a long career with the DuPont Co. and was a founding member of UD¹s Academy of Lifelong Learning who received the University Medal of Merit in 1992.
McKay Jenkins
Cornelius A. Tilghman Sr. Professor of English
English
Research: Author and scholar of American literature, specializing in environmental studies, nonfiction writing and the history of race relations
The Cornelius A. Tilghman Sr. Professorship in English was established by his widow, the late Marjorie Johnson Tilghman, AS ’28, in memory of her second husband, a graduate of UD’s Class of 1925 and a Rhodes Scholar.
Salil Lachke
Alumni Distinguished Early Career Professor of Biology
Biological Sciences
Research: Genetic research related to organ development and disease, especially in the eye.
J.P. Laurenceau
Unidel A. Gilchrist Sparks III Chair in the Social Sciences
Psychology and Brain Sciences
Research: Relationship science, intensive longitudinal methods, couples coping with illness
The Unidel A. Gilchrist Sparks III Faculty Chair in the Social Sciences was established in 2015 by the Unidel Foundation, in honor of A. Gilchrist Sparks III and his service as Chairman of the University of Delaware’s Board of Trustees. Mr. Sparks has served as a member of the Board of Trustees since 2003 and served as chair from 2009 to 2015. Mr. Sparks graduated from Yale University in 1966 and then served on active duty as an officer in the U.S. Coast Guard Reserve, including a tour in Vietnam. He earned his law degree from the University of Pennsylvania Law School in 1973.
Thomas Leitch
Unidel Andrew B. Kirkpatrick Jr. Chair of Writing
English
Research: Film studies and adaptations, theories of storytelling, works of film director Alfred Hitchcock
The Unidel Andrew B. Kirkpatrick Jr. Chair in the Department of English was one of several chairs created in 2001 from a grant from the Unidel Foundation to support recruiting top-quality faculty. Andrew B. Kirkpatrick Jr., Esq., was very active in state and local legal affairs. He served as trustee of the Unidel Foundation and as a member and chairman of the Board of Trustees of the University of Delaware.
Wunyabari Maloba
Edward L. Ratledge Professor of Africana Studies and History
Research: African nationalism, revolutionary movements, women’s history and Africana studies
William Matthaeus
Unidel Professor of Physics and Astronomy
Physics and Astronomy
Research: Turbulence theory, solar wind, space plasma physics and numerical simulations
Unidel professorships are supported by the Unidel Foundation, which was established by Amy E. du Pont, a noted philanthropist who bequeathed her estate to create the foundation.
Rudolph Matthee
John A. Munroe and Dorothy L. Munroe Chair of History
History
Research: Middle Eastern history, early modern Iran and the Persian Gulf
The John A. and Dorothy L. Munroe Chair in History was established in 2007 through the proceeds of a charitable gift annuity created in 2001. The donors are the late John A. Munroe and his wife Dorothy (“Dot”). Prof. Munroe, one of Delaware’s best known and most respected historians, was named H. Rodney Sharp Professor of History in 1962. Dorothy Munroe remains an active member of the UD community.
Arwen Mohun
Henry Clay Reed Professor of History
History
Research: Social and cultural history of technology.
Peter B. Monk
Unidel Professor of Mathematical Sciences
Mathematical Sciences
Research; Numerical analysis and scientific computing
Unidel professorships are awarded by the Unidel Foundation, which was established by Amy E. du Pont, a noted sportswoman and philanthropist who supported women’s education at Delaware and bequeathed her estate to create the foundation. The Unidel Foundation makes grants to finance specific projects to enrich educational programs at UD.
Debra Hess Norris
Unidel Henry Francis du Pont Chair
Art Conservation
Research: Conservation and preservation of photographic collections, collection management
The Unidel Henry Francis du Pont Chair in Fine Arts, made possible by an endowment provided by the Unidel Foundation, recognizes the founder of Winterthur Museum and Country Estate, a showplace of furniture and decorative arts used in the U.S. before 1860 and home to the Winterthur/UD Program in Art Conservation.
Alison Parker
Robert H. and Lydia H. Richards Professor of American History
History
Research: Intersections of gender, race, disability, citizenship and the law in U.S. history
The Richards Professorship memorializes Lydia H. Richards, Robert H. Richards Sr. and Robert H. Richards Jr. Lydia Richards served on the Women’s College advisory committee to the Board of Trustees, Robert H. Richards Sr. was a leader of the Delaware bar and member of the UD Board of Trustees, and Robert H. Richards Jr., who graduated from UD in 1928, succeeded his father as head of the Wilmington law firm of Richards, Layton & Finger.
Kristen Poole
Ned B. Allen Professor of English
English
Research: Specializes in the literary and cultural history of sixteenth- and seventeenth-century England. She has published extensively on the intersection of religion, science, and literature, especially regarding the work of William Shakespeare and John Milton.
This professorship honors the late Ned B. Allen, a longtime member and former chairman of the Department of English.
Paul Quinn
Trustees’ Distinguished Professor of Psychological and Brain Sciences
Psychological and Brain Sciences
Research: How infants form concepts for people, places and things.
Trustees’ Distinguished Professorships were created by the University’s Board of Trustees to recognize deserving senior faculty members.
Meredith Ray
Elias Ahuja Professor of Foreign Languages and Literatures
Languages, Literatures and Cultures
Research: Italian Renaissance: its literature and culture, women’s lives and gender roles during the period, women and science (alchemy, medicine, natural philosophy), letters and letter writing.
Elias Ahuja, whose memory is honored by named professorships in foreign languages and literatures, was born in Spain and represented the DuPont Co. in Chile in the early part of the 20th century.
David Redlawsk
James R. Soles Professor of Political Science
Political Science
Research: Political psychology, voter behavior and emotion
The James R. Soles Professorship in Political Science supports a faculty member in the Department of Political Science and International Relations with career commitments to teaching, students and active citizenship and civic involvement, as exemplified by Professor Soles.
Qaisar Shafi
Bartol Research Institute Professor of Physics
Physics and Astronomy
Research: Theoretical high-energy physics and cosmology
The Bartol Research Institute was established in the will of Henry W. Bartol, who died in 1918, and its first Fellow was appointed in 1925. The institute moved to its current location on the UD campus in 1977, became part of the College of Arts and Sciences in 2000 and merged with the Department of Physics and Astronomy in 2005. Its mission is to carry out leading scientific research, primarily focused on physics, astronomy and space sciences.
David Shearer
Thomas Muncy Keith Professor of History
History
Research: Soviet and 20th Century European History.
Kami Silk
Edward F. and Elizabeth Goodman Rosenberg Professor of Communication
Research interests: Health and risk communication, influence of social norms on health behaviors, persuasive health messages
Margaret Stetz
Mae R. and Robert C. Carter Professor of Women’s Studies
Women & Gender Studies
Research: 19th-, 20th- and 21st-century women’s literature and culture, with an emphasis on British women, including women at war, women and comedy and late-Victorian women writers and artists
Mae Carter, whom the professorship honors, is a pioneer in women’s equity at UD. She helped initiate and chaired the Women’s Studies Interdisciplinary Program and the Commission on the Status of Women and was instrumental in the creation of the Office of Women’s Affairs. The annual Mae Carter Award for outstanding returning adult woman student is given in her honor. A graduate of the University of California at Los Angeles, she was inducted into the Delaware Women’s Hall of Fame. Robert Carter had a career in management with Getty Oil. An amateur photographer, he, and his wife travel extensively and have visited more than 130 countries.
Joyce Hill Stoner
Edward F. and Elizabeth Goodman Rosenberg Professor in Material Culture
Art Conservation
Research: Conservation of paintings, history of art conservation in the 20th century, preservation studies
Colin Thorpe
Willis F. Harrington Professor of Biochemistry
Chemistry and Biochemistry
Research: Disulfide bonds
Willis F. Harrington, Sr., whose memory is honored by named professorships in chemistry, graduated from UD in 1902 and received another degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology before entering the chemical industry, where he was involved in the manufacture of dyes. He and his brother, Chancellor William Watson Harrington, an 1895 graduate of UD and a trustee for 59 years, were longtime friends of the University.
Cathy Huey-Hwa Wu
Unidel Edward G. Jefferson Chair in Engineering and Computer Science
Computer and Information Sciences
Research: Bioinformatics and computational systems biology
The Unidel Edward G. Jefferson Chair honors the late Edward Jefferson, former chairman and chief executive officer of the DuPont Company and a University trustee and benefactor. The Jefferson Chair is funded through an endowment established by the Unidel Foundation.
John Xiao
Unidel Professor of Physics and Astronomy
Physics and Astronomy
Research: Spintronics, metamaterials, magnetism in nanostructures, and applications based on magnetic materials
Unidel professorships are awarded by the Unidel Foundation, which was established by Amy E. du Pont, noted sportswoman and philanthropist who supported women’s education at Delaware and bequeathed her estate to create the foundation. The Unidel Foundation makes grants to finance specific projects to enrich educational programs at UD.
Julian Yates
H. Fletcher Brown Professor of English
English
Research: Medieval and Renaissance British Literature, literary theory, material culture studies, and questions of ecology / environmental humanities
The H. Fletcher Brown Professorship was established through the estate of H. Fletcher Brown, who served on the University of Delaware Board of Trustees and received an honorary Doctor of Science degree in 1930. He is remembered for his philanthropy and dedication to public service in the state of Delaware.
