Northwestern University faculty members, most of them top in their field, share a common commitment to quality undergraduate teaching. To attract and retain outstanding faculty, Northwestern must offer the best resources, tools, and facilities, and properly reward academic achievement that sets us apart.

In 2004-05, the University employed 933 teaching faculty at an average annual salary that was ranked ninth among our peer institutions. In order to maintain the University's strong commitment to academic excellence and remain competitive with schools such as Stanford, the University of Chicago, and Yale, it is vital that Northwestern continue to develop assertive and forward-thinking financial plans that enable it to attract and retain the caliber of faculty that enhance the University's reputation for academic excellence.

Professor Mark C. Hersam Materials Science & Engineering

The quality and distinction of a Northwestern education has propelled our students to make names for themselves in medicine, physics, engineering, social science, law, and the arts, improving the world and bringing honor to the name of the University. The future of that quality and distinction will be determined by our ability to retain and attract the most innovative and impressive scholars who share Northwestern's vision of creating an unrivaled interdisciplinary education.

By making an endowed gift to support faculty development at Northwestern, you increase the resources available for the University president and deans to recruit and retain the best and brightest. By endowing a chair or professorship, you can name a faculty position in honor of a family member, colleague, mentor or friend. Alumni have even established professorships to recognize faculty members at Northwestern, ensuring that past scholarly excellence will flourish in the teachers and students of the future.

By appointing faculty members to named professorships, Northwestern is able to honor outstanding faculty and reward scholarly achievement. Providing proper recognition and resources is essential for retaining the most qualified experts and exceptional teachers, as acclaimed faculty members are often sought after by peer institutions.

An endowed chair is the highest honor the University can bestow on senior faculty members, and can often be a critical factor in retaining our best scholars. These chairs highlight the important role that scholarship and teaching play at Northwestern, and they are possible only with the generous support of donors, who value excellence in scholarship and want to help ensure that Northwestern continues to maintain a renowned faculty.

Give online or contact Patricia McKeever, Director of Major Gifts, at p-mckeever@northwestern.edu or (847) 467-5390 to find out more about how you can invest in a chair or professorship.