Skip To Main Content Skip To Profile Details
College of Arts and Sciences Interim Dean Mark Zoran delivers remarks at the inaugural investiture ceremony.
College of Arts and Sciences Interim Dean Dr. Mark Zoran delivers remarks at the college's inaugural investiture ceremony on Nov. 16. | Image: Matt Baughman, College of Arts & Sciences Marketing & Communications

Sixteen faculty members in the Texas A&M University College of Arts and Sciences were recognized for their contributions to their fields and pursuit of academic excellence during the college’s inaugural investiture ceremony, held Thursday (Nov. 16) in the Memorial Student Center’s Bethancourt Ballroom. 

The faculty, each of whom hold new and reappointed endowed chairs or professorships, all received a bronze medallion inscribed with the name of their endowment.  

“Becoming an endowed chair or professorship holder carries with it a level of prestige that distinguishes you and your accomplishments,” Interim Dean Dr. Mark Zoran said to attendees. “It brings honor to you, the college and the university.”

The investiture ceremony, which comes from the Latin phrase “dress in robe,” has existed since the Middle Ages and symbolizes the quest for knowledge.  

The event included remarks from Zoran and Dr. Alan Sams, executive vice provost for academic affairs and chief academic officer for Texas A&M. 

New Chair Appointments 

Dr. Alison R. Fout, Department of Chemistry 

C.J. DAVIDSON CHAIR IN SCIENCE 

Dr. Valen Johnson, Department of Statistics  

GEORGE P. MITCHELL ’40 CHAIR IN STATISTICS 

Chair Reappointments 

Dr. Yalchin Efendiev, Department of Mathematics 

RICHARD E. EWING EXXONMOBIL CHAIR IN COMPUTATIONAL SCIENCE 

Dr. John A. Gladysz, Department of Chemistry  

DOW CHAIR IN CHEMICAL INVENTION 

Dr. Jean-Luc Guermond, Department of Mathematics 

RICHARD E. EWING EXXONMOBIL CHAIR IN COMPUTATIONAL SCIENCE 

Dr. Christopher Pope, Department of Physics & Astronomy 

STEPHEN HAWKING CHAIR IN FUNDAMENTAL PHYSICS 

Dr. Guoliang Yu, Department of Mathematics 

THOMAS W. POWELL ’62 CHAIR IN MATHEMATICS 

Dr. Hongbin Zhan, Department of Geology & Geophysics 

DUDLEY J. HUGHES ’51 CHAIR IN GEOLOGY AND GEOPHYSICS 

Professorship Reappointments 

Dr. José Luis Bermúdez, Department of Philosophy 

SAMUEL RHEA GAMMON PROFESSORSHIP IN LIBERAL ARTS 

Dr. Judith S. Chester, Department of Geology & Geophysics 

MOLLIE B. AND RICHARD A. WILLIFORD PROFESSORSHIP IN PETROLEUM GEOLOGY 

Dr. Darren L. DePoy, Department of Physics & Astronomy 

RACHAL-MITCHELL-HEEP ENDOWED PROFESSORSHIP IN PHYSICS 

Dr. Catherine C. Eckel, Department of Economics 

SARA & JOHN LINDSEY PROFESSORSHIP 

Dr. Ryan Ewing, Department of Geology & Geophysics 

ROBERT R. BERG PROFESSORSHIP - GEOLOGY 

Dr. Cemal Pulak, Department of Anthropology 

FREDERICK R. MAYER PROFESSORSHIP IN NAUTICAL ARCHAEOLOGY 

Dr. Courtney Schumacher, Department of Atmospheric Sciences 

E.D. BROCKETT PROFESSORSHIP - GEOSCIENCES 

Dr. Alexei V. Sokolov, Department of Physics & Astronomy 

STEPHEN E. HARRIS PROFESSORSHIP IN QUANTUM OPTICS