Five Faculty Members Honored with Named Professorships

The School of Communication honored on January 16 five stand-out faculty and their achievements with named professorships at an investiture ceremony in Evanston in the Guild Lounge at Scott Hall.

“Investitures are deeply significant exercises at Northwestern,” said School of Communication Dean E. Patrick Johnsons, kicking off the ceremony. “We gather to celebrate our faculty’s successes in scholarship and creative practice—and to honor and thank our supporters. These aren’t just titles, but instead measurements by which we gauge our scientific and artistic progress, new knowledge creation, and institutional eminence.”

The faculty honored, and their invested professorships, are as follows:

• Leslie Dechurch, professor and chair of the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders now holds the Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al Thani Chair in Communication
• Heather Hendershot, professor of communication studies with a joint appointment in the Medill School of Journalism, Media, Integrated Marketing Communications, is the Cardiss Collins Professor of Communication Studies and Journalism
• Aymar Jean Christian, professor of communication studies and new media scholar, holds the Margaret Walker Chair
• Todd Rosenthal, professor of theatre and renowned set designer, is the Jaharis Family Foundation Professor
• Mary Zimmerman (C81; GC84, 87), professor of performance studies and a Tony Award-winning director of stage, holds a prestigious Board of Trustees Professorship.

University Provost Kathleen Hagerty was present and addressed the crowd of family and supporters gathered to celebrate the invested faculty.

“Our faculty are the backbone of our institution and at the heart of Northwestern’s mission,” she said, which is, “delivering excellent teaching, innovative research, and personal and intellectual growth for our students in a diverse academic community.”