Duke Honors 38 Distinguished Professors in 2026

Collage of faces

Duke University has awarded distinguished professorships to 38 faculty and will recognize them in a ceremony at the Washington Duke Inn on May 18.

“I am delighted to recognize these faculty members with distinguished professorships,” said President Vincent E. Price. “Their work reflects a deep commitment to excellence in research and education, advancing new ideas and discoveries that benefit society and inspire future generations.”

Distinguished professorships honor faculty who are well-established members of the Duke academic community and have also achieved distinction as creative scholars in their field or in their ability to transcend disciplines.

“I am excited and proud to recognize Duke’s newest distinguished professors, an exceptional group of scholars and teachers who are also esteemed colleagues,” said Provost Alec D. Gallimore. “I congratulate them on this achievement and thank them for their contributions to our remarkable academic community.”

During its February meeting, Duke University’s Board of Trustees approved the awarding of Distinguished Professorships to the following members of the faculty, effective July 1, 2026:

Manuel Adelino (Fuqua School of Business), Carey Family Distinguished Professor of Business Administration

Esen Karamursel Akpek (School of Medicine), Stephen and Frances Foster Distinguished Professor of Ophthalmology

Andrew John Armstrong (School of Medicine), George Barth Geller Distinguished Professor for Research in Cancer

Mustafa Shadi Rifaat Bashir (School of Medicine), James & Alice Chen Distinguished Professor in Radiology

Pablo Beramendi (Trinity College of Arts & Sciences), Newman Ivey White Distinguished Professor of Political Science

Debra Huffman Brandon (School of Nursing), Bessie Baker Distinguished Professor in Nursing

Jorn Coers (School of Medicine), Alter Geller Distinguished Professor for Research in Immunology

Emily R. Derbyshire (Trinity College of Arts & Sciences), Pelham Wilder Distinguished Professor of Chemistry

John Everett Dolbow (Pratt School of Engineering), Fitzgerald S. Hudson Distinguished Professor of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science

Scott D. Dyreng (Fuqua School of Business), David and Marsha Taylor Distinguished Professor of Business Administration

Sharon Fekrat (School of Medicine), Robert Machemer, MD, Distinguished Professor of Ophthalmology

Wuwei Feng (School of Medicine), Disque D. Deane Distinguished Professor of Neurology

Bradley John Goldstein (School of Medicine), Duke School of Medicine Distinguished Professor of Head and Neck Surgery & Communication Sciences

Susan Nicole Hastings (School of Medicine), Florence McAlister Distinguished Professor of Medicine

Nicholas Scott Heaton (School of Medicine), Minnie Geller Distinguished Professor of Research in Genetics

Paul B. Jaskot (Trinity College of Arts & Sciences), France Family Distinguished Professor of Art, Art History & Visual Studies

William Arthur Jiranek (School of Medicine), Duke Distinguished Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery

Sven Eric Jordt (School of Medicine), Distinguished Professor of Anesthesiology

Kevin S. LaBar (Trinity College of Arts & Sciences), Robert L. Wilson Distinguished Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience

Natalia Litchinitser (Pratt School of Engineering), Michael J. Fitzpatrick Distinguished Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering

Goldis Malek (School of Medicine), Joseph A.C. Wadsworth Distinguished Professor of Ophthalmology

Edmund Malesky (Trinity College of Arts & Sciences), Oscar L. Tang Family Distinguished Professor of Political Science

David McAdams (Fuqua School of Business), Robert A. Bandeen Distinguished Professor of Business Administration

Christopher Vincent Nicchitta (School of Medicine), James B. Duke Distinguished Professor of Cell Biology

Trudy G. Oliver (School of Medicine), George Barth Geller Distinguished Professor for Research in Pharmacology

Jonathan Paul Piccini Sr. (School of Medicine), Ursula Geller Distinguished Professor of Research in Cardiovascular Diseases

Lillian Beatrix Pierce (Trinity College of Arts & Sciences), Anne Firor Scott Distinguished Professor of Mathematics

Tonia Poteat (School of Nursing), Ruby L. Wilson Distinguished Professor in Nursing

Jerome P. Reiter (Trinity College of Arts & Sciences), Henry W. Newson Distinguished Professor of Statistical Science

Tatiana Segura (Pratt School of Engineering), Robert Plonsey Distinguished Professor of Biomedical Engineering

Mari L. Shinohara (School of Medicine), Alter Geller Distinguished Professor for Research in Immunology

Debra Lynn Silver (School of Medicine), Duke School of Medicine Distinguished Professor in Neuroscience

Catherine Ann Staton (School of Medicine), Catherine Wilfert Distinguished Professor of Emergency Medicine

Nanthia Suthana (School of Medicine), Carol Gram Deane Presidential Distinguished Professor in Neurosurgery

David M. Tobin (School of Medicine), Minnie Geller Distinguished Professor for Research in Genetics

Joseph W. Turek (School of Medicine), Joseph W. and Dorothy W. Beard Distinguished Professor of Surgery

G. Greg Wang (School of Medicine), James B. Duke Distinguished Professor of Pharmacology and Cancer Biology 

One faculty member awarded a Distinguished Professorship that took effect September 1, 2025, will also be honored at the ceremony:

Aaron D. Franklin (Pratt School of Engineering), Edmund T. Pratt, Jr. Distinguished Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering 

For a complete list of Duke’s Distinguished Professors, please visit the Provost’s Office website.