University Professorships

The title of University of Professor is bestowed on faculty at the University of Georgia who have had a significant impact on the University in addition to fulfilling their normal academic responsibilities. The impact may be in the areas of policy development, teaching, curricular change, innovative programs, or academic leadership. The honor recognizes individuals whose actions as change-agents (whether through their research or their service at the University, in the community, through their professional organizations, or by other means) have improved the quality with which the University serves its missions.

For a comprehensive list of University Professors, please click here.


2023-2024 Recipients

Keith Langston

Keith Langston
Professor and Head of the Department of Linguistics and Professor of Germanic and Slavic studies, Franklin College of Arts and Sciences

Paula Lemons

Paula Lemons
Professor in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and Associate Dean of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Franklin College of Arts and Sciences
















Eligibility

The candidate must hold the rank of Professor and have been on the faculty of the University of Georgia for ten years. Upon appointment as University Professor, the faculty member must not hold, or must relinquish, the Regents’ Professorship, Distinguished Research Professorship or GRA Eminent Scholar title.


The Award

A maximum of two University Professors will be named each year. The person(s) so named shall receive a permanent increase of $10,000 in salary added to the merit raise in the year of appointment. In addition, the awardee(s) shall receive a yearly academic support account of $5,000 as long as she or he holds the position. University Professors will be reviewed and renewed at the discretion of the President every five years. The five-year review process will be initiated within each school or college as designed by the Dean; at a minimum, the Dean will submit a written recommendation and a copy of the University Professor’s curriculum vitae to the Office of Faculty Affairs.


Committee

The Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost shall appoint a Special Professorship Selection Committee consisting of six faculty serving staggered three-year terms.


Review Process

Each year, the Committee shall be responsible for creating a list of faculty members worthy of the University Professorship. The Committee shall solicit nominations through Deans. In addition to these nominations, the Committee may add names to its list. Following the creation of this list, the Committee shall establish guidelines for evaluation. At a minimum, the Committee shall review each candidate’s curriculum vitae and require a supporting letter from each candidate’s unit head with supporting letter from each candidate. A maximum of two candidates per year may be recommended from the list. The Committee shall seek the approval of the Dean of the recommended faculty member. After obtaining the appropriate Dean’s approval, the Committee's recommendation shall be sent to the Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost, who shall review the recommendation and, if acceptable, forward it to the President for final approval.

The names on the Committee's list of worthy faculty members shall be retained in the Office of the Provost for up to 3 years and presented to the next year's Committee.


Submission of Nominations

Deans' Offices should submit one (1) copy of each nominee’s dossier as a PDF through the school/college “course” site in eLC. The deadline is Wednesday, October 25, 2023.

For questions or assistance with the submission process, please contact the Office of Academic Affairs.

Questions regarding University Professorships should be directed to:

Sherri Bennett
Office of Academic Affairs
sherri@uga.edu 
(706) 542-0383