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May 30, 2008

Harvey named fifth holder of Tom and Mayme Scott Endowed Professorship in Teaching Excellence

ULM's Teaching and Learning Resource Center recently announced that Dr. Gordon Harvey, head of the ULM History Department, has been named the fifth holder of the Tom and Mayme Scott Endowed Professorship in Teaching Excellence. His award extends for 2008-2011.

The endowed professorship is a distinction awarded by the university to a scholar or teacher in recognition of past and potential original contributions to the individual's academic discipline. In addition to the academic honor given to the individual, an endowed professorship provides funding for support of his or her teaching, research, and service responsibilities.

This particular three-year endowed professorship, which is open to eligible faculty from every college at ULM, is a prestigious award that serves to support the university's commitment to excellence in teaching.

Betty Cummins, immediate past president of the University of Louisiana at Monroe Foundation Board of Trustees and the daughter of Tom and Mayme Scott, expressed her approval that Harvey received the professorship. "I was so pleased to learn that Dr. Gordon Harvey has been designated as the recipient of the Teaching Excellence award. To be recognized for your extraordinary devotion to your teaching profession is an award to be coveted. My parents believed in always going the extra mile and giving more than 100 percent to any endeavor, so this award certainly represents standards that deserve to be recognized and acknowledged. On behalf of the Scott Foundation I extend our sincere congratulations to Dr. Harvey."

ULM President James Cofer has previously singled Harvey out for his significant scholarly contributions and his commitment to academic excellence and intellectual inquiry. "It is with the aid of professors like Gordon Harvey that we continue the legacy of a great education for our students, who have personally told me that Dr. Harvey is able to teach 'not only the fundamentals of history, but more importantly, the essence of becoming an historian.' What better inheritance could he provide for future generations?"

Candidates submit portfolios, including a specific proposal of how they would use the funds, to the TLRC Faculty Advisory Committee for consideration.

Past holders of this prestigious award are Dr. Lesa W. Lawrence, pharmacy administration (2005-2008); Dr. Ann Findley, biology (2002-2005); Dr. Stanley Williamson, management and aviation (1999-2002); and Dr. Jeff Galle, English (1996-1999).

More about the Endowed Professorships Program:
The Endowed Professorships Program was established by the Louisiana Board of Regents in 1990–91, designed to broaden opportunities for faculty enhancement on diverse types of campuses.

Endowed Professorships help recruit superior new faculty and/or retain faculty whose research, teaching, and/or public service have uniquely contributed to the missions of their departments and institutions. A major purpose of the Endowed Professorships program is to create stronger economic development ties between the private sector and higher education.

An Endowed Professorship is established by pairing a 60 percent private-sector gift with a 40 percent Board of Regents award through a permanent trust fund - the Louisiana Education Quality Support Fund. The minimum private investment required to establish an Endowed Professorship is $60,000. This gift is then eligible to receive the Board of Regent's $40,000 match, creating a $100,000 Endowed Professorship.

Endowed Professorships are flexible and intended to meet the needs of widely varying disciplines, campuses, and academic units by providing salary or discretionary spending supplements that will increase the retention of exemplary professors, enhance research competitiveness in achieving federal funding, improve research ties with industry by linking industrial researchers with faculty, and strengthen the capacity of departments to achieve regional, interstate and/or national eminence in education or research.

For more information, including how to support or establish an endowed professorship or endowed chair, contact ULM Director of Development Anne Lockhart at 318-342-5426 or at lockhart@ulm.edu.

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