Sixteen faculty members have been honored with appointments to endowed professorships.
Assistant Professor Hari Balakrishnan of the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science is the newest holder of the KDD Career Development Professorship in Communications and Technology for a three-year term. The chair was established in 1993 by the Kokusai Denshin Denwa Co., Ltd. of Tokyo to further cultural and intellectual exchange between the United States and Japan.
Assistant Professor Eran Ben-Joseph of urban studies and planning is the second holder of the Alfred Henry and Jean Morrison Hayes Career Development Professorship for a three-year term. The chair was created through a bequest from the Hayes family (Mr. Hayes received the SB in chemical engineering in 1929).
Assistant Professor of Biology Jamie H. Cate has been appointed to the Pfizer-Laubach Career Development Professorship for a three-year term. Pfizer established the chair to honor Dr. Gerald D. Laubach (PhD 1950, chemistry), former president of the company.
Assistant Professor Catherine L. Drennan of the Department of Chemistry is the next Cecil and Ida Green Career Development Professor for a three-year term. Mr. Green (SB 1923) is the founder of Texas Instruments and a longtime benefactor of MIT.
Professor Robert L. Jaffe, director of the Center for Theoretical Physics, is the new Otto and Jane Morningstar Professor. The chair was established in 1996 by Dr. Morningstar (PhD 1939) and his wife.
Professor Monty Krieger of biology is the newest recipient of the Thomas D. and Virginia W. Cabot Professorship for a five-year term. The chair is one of two established by the Cabots in the field of engineering and molecular or cellular biology.
Professor Fred Moavenzadeh of civil and environmental engineering, director of the Center for Technology, Policy and Industrial Development, holds the James Mason Crafts Professorship for a five-year term. The chair, created through resources stemming from MIT's involvement in founding the American Superconductor Corp., honors the president of MIT from 1897-1900.
Assistant Professor of Economics Sendhil Mullainathan has been appointed as the inaugural holder of the Mark Hyman Jr. Career Development Professorship for a three-year term. The chair was established with a bequest from My. Hyman (SB 1939).
Professor of Psychology Steven Pinker, director of the McDonnell-Pew Center for Cognitive Neuroscience, was appointed to the Peter de Florez Professorship for a five-year renewable term. The chair was established by Mr. de Florez (SB 1938).
Assistant Professor of Linguistics and Philosophy Norvin W. Richards III is the latest holder of the Mitsui Career Development Professorship for a three-year term. The Mitsui chairs were established in 1980 through the Mitsui Group in Japan to encourage cultural and technological exchange between the United States and Japan.
Assistant Professor of Applied Economics Roberto Rigobon of the Sloan School of Management holds the Class of 1943 Career Development Professorship for a three-year term.
Assistant Professor H. Sebastian Seung of the Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences and the Department of Physics holds the Robert A. Swanson Career Development Professorship in the Life Sciences for a three-year term. Mr. Swanson (SB 1969, SM), cofounder and CEO of Genentech, Inc., created the professorship in 1986 to recognize junior faculty who show exceptional promise in the life sciences.
Assistant Professor James L. Sherley of the Division of Bioengineering and Environmental Health holds the Samuel A. Goldblith Career Development Professorship for a three-year term. The chair was established by friends of Professor Goldblith, professor of food science emeritus and former vice president for resource development.
Assistant Professor of Physics Washington Taylor is the newest recipient of the Class of 1942 Career Development Professorship for a three-year term.
Assistant Professor of Biology Luk van Parijs was named the Ivan R. Cottrell Cereer Development Professor of Immunology for a three-year term. The chair was established in 1991 through a bequest from Mr. Cottrell to fund research in immunology.
Professor Alan Willsky of electrical engineering and computer science was named to the Edwin Sibley Webster Professorship of Electrical Engineering. The chair honors Mr. Webster (SB 1888), one of the first MIT graduates in electrical engineering.
A version of this article appeared in MIT Tech Talk on May 23, 2001.
