Columbia Business School has announced the establishment of seven new professorships, each named in honor of a distinguished Columbia faculty member or industry figure who has made a significant contribution to the School. Five of the new chairs — all of which are reserved for full professors, visiting professors or professors of professional practice — have been filled by current faculty members. Appointments to the remaining two professorships will be made in the next year.

The Philip H. Geier Jr. Professorship of Marketing, to be filled by Ran Kivetz, was established with a generous gift from Board of Overseers member Philip H. Geier Jr. '58 and a matching gift from the Arthur J. Samberg '67 Faculty Development Challenge. 

Four of the new professorships are supported by unrestricted gifts: the Eli W. Ginzberg Professorship of Finance and Economics, to be filled by Wouter Dessein; the Robert W. Lear Professorship of Finance and Economics, to be filled by Charles Jones; the Franklin Pitcher Johnson Jr. Professorship of Finance and Economics, to be filled by Tano Santos; and the Stefan H. Robock Professorship of Finance and Economics, currently vacant.

The Hughie E. Mills Professorship of Business, which has yet to be filled, and the John A. Howard Professorship of Business, to be filled by Kamel Jedidi, were established with funding from one of the School’s unrestricted endowments.

"We are proud to recognize the outstanding achievements and important contributions of both the individuals for whom our new professorships are named and the faculty members who will hold those titles," said Dean Glenn Hubbard. "The ability to draw and keep the most talented faculty members, who serve as resources for our students and enhance our reputation as a source of transformational ideas, is critical to our mission of preparing tomorrow’s business leaders."

Five of these professorships honor former members of the Columbia Business School faculty and staff: Stefan H. Robock, the R. D. Calkins Professor Emeritus of International Business; Eli W. Ginzberg, the A. Barton Hepburn Professor Emeritus of Economics; John A. Howard, the George E. Warren Professor Emeritus of Business; Robert W. Lear, the School’s first executive in residence, who specialized in corporate governance and executive leadership; and Hughie E. Mills, who served as director of community relations and later as director of financial aid at the School.

Since 2004, the School has established 28 new professorships, bringing the total number of full and associate professorships to 72.

To make a gift or for more information, contact Lisa Yeh, associate dean of external relations and development, at 212-854-5359 or [email protected].