Filling Bass
Chairs
 ive
faculty members have been appointed to endowed chairs through the
university’s Bass Program for Excellence in Undergraduate Education,
a $40-million initiative that recognizes faculty members who are gifted
teachers as well as scholars. The new chairs were endowed as part
of a $10-million challenge gift to Duke by Anne and Robert Bass of
Fort Worth, Texas, in September 1996. Under the challenge component,
donors may endow a full professorship through a gift of $1.125 million,
with the Basses contributing the remaining $375,000 required by Duke.
The Basses also have established three professorships in their own
name.
The initiative also established the Bass Society of Fellows, in which
the chair holders meet regularly to discuss issues related to higher
education. The newly appointed Bass Fellows are:
• Robert L. Clark, Jeffrey N. Vinik Professor of Mechanical
Engineering and Materials Science. Clark, who was educated at
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, began teaching
at Duke in 1992. His research interests include acoustics, structural
dynamics, control, and conceptual design. He teaches several
courses on dynamic systems.
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• Malachi H. Hacohen, Fred W. Shaffer Associate Professor
of History. Hacohen came to Duke in 1993. He studied at Bar-Ilan
University in Israel and Columbia University. His research interests
focus on German, Austrian, and French history, as well as social
theory, political philosophy, and philosophy of science. He
teaches European intellectual history, modern European culture
and politics, and twentieth-century liberalism.
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• Craig Henriquez, W.H. Gardner Jr. Associate Professor
of Biomedical Engineering. Henriquez B.S.E. ’81, Ph.D.
’88 began teaching at Duke in 1989. His research looks
at computational biology as it relates to electrical signaling
in the heart and brain. He teaches courses in electrobiology,
biomedical device design, computational methods for biomedical
engineering, electrocardiology, and computational neurobiology.
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• Alberto Moreiras, Anne T. and Robert M. Bass Associate
Professor of Romance Studies. Moreiras, who received his Ph.D.
from the University of Georgia, taught at the University of
Wisconsin-Madison, Emory University, and the University of Giessen
(Germany) before joining the Duke faculty in 1992. He teaches
courses in Latin American literature and cultural studies as
well as contemporary theory, political philosophy, and subaltern
studies. He also does research on the history of the Spanish
empire.
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• Charles D. Piot, Creed C. Black Professor of Cultural
Anthropology. Piot, who was educated at Princeton University
and the University of Virginia, came to Duke in 1993. His research
interests include the political economy and history of West
Africa, the history of anthropology, African-American studies,
diaspora studies, and popular culture. His classes include global
culture, African culture and politics, the African diaspora,
transnationalism, and public culture.
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Five new endowed professorships were created through gifts as part
of the Bass challenge:
• The Anderson-Rupp Professorship in the Pratt School
of Engineering, established by Carol and Howard Anderson, whose
son Jacob is a Duke junior majoring in Russian and comparative
area studies. The Andersons are national chairs of the Parents
Committee and serve on the Campaign for Duke Steering Committee.
The professorship also honors a family friend, Glenn Rupp ’66,
who is chair and CEO of Converse Inc. Howard Anderson is senior
managing director of YankeeTek and Carol Anderson is with Harbor
Vest Partners.
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• The Creed C. Black Associate Professorship for Trinity
College, established by Steven Davis Black ’74 and Deborah
Groves Black ’74 in honor of Steven’s father, Creed
C. Black of Miami. Steven Black has served on Trinity College’s
board of visitors and the New York Development Council. He is
managing director of institutional equities for Chase. Deborah
Black is a community volunteer.
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• The W.H. Gardner Jr. Associate Professorship, established
by J. Alston Gardner in honor of his father, W.H. “Nick”
Gardner ’45. Nick Gardner is the former president and current
vice president of Gardner and McDaniel, a civil engineering
firm. He taught at Duke from 1953 to 1963 and was head engineer
for many buildings constructed at Duke over the last fifty years.
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• The Kevin D. Gorter Associate Professorship in Trinity
College, established by James and Audrey Gorter in memory of
their late son, Kevin Gorter ’87. A double-major in political
science and religion, he earned a senior leadership award at
graduation. His parents have served on the Parents Committee
and the Capital Campaign for the Arts and Sciences Executive
Committee. James Gorter is chair of Baker Fentress, an investment
management company. They also are parents of Mary Gorter Krey
’81.
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| • The Jerry G. and Patricia Crawford Hubbard Professorship,
established by Jerry G. Hubbard ’57 and Patricia Crawford
Hubbard ’59. Jerry Hubbard, who has served on the board
of visitors of the Fuqua School of Business, retired as president
and CEO of Marglen Industries, a carpeting manufacturer. The
Hubbards are the parents of Patricia L. Hubbard ’90. |
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