Honorary professorships and chairs

• Regents Professorship
• McKnight Professorships
• CSE Distinguished Professor
• Endowed Chairs and Professorships

Regents Professorship

The Regents Professorship was created by the Board of Regents in 1965 with support from the University Foundation. It is the highest recognition given by the University to a member of its faculty. Regents Professors exhibit outstanding academic distinction, judged by the scope and quality of their scholarly or artistic work, the quality of their teaching, and their contributions to the public good. Once designated Regents Professors, faculty members hold the title for as long as they remain at the University. Upon retirement from the University, a Regents Professor becomes a Regents Professor Emeritus.

McKnight Professorships

Distinguished McKnight Professorship

The Distinguished McKnight University Professorship honors the University’s most distinguished mid-career faculty.

† deceased

McKnight Land-Grant Professorship

The major purpose of the McKnight Land-Grant Professorship program is to strengthen the University's faculty for the future. The program is designed to advance the careers of the most promising junior faculty at a crucial period in their professional lives by developing their potential to make significant contributions to their disciplines.

** former faculty member

McKnight Presidential Endowed Professorship

The McKnight Presidential Endowed Professorship recognizes the critical importance of the University’s most distinguished faculty, with an aim to help the University recruit and retain the very best professors and world-class scholars who bring special distinction to the University of Minnesota. Recipients of the award are recommended by their college dean and chosen at the discretion of the president, in part, on their academic and research accomplishments and their contributions to advancing the University among their peers  Along with the professorship, recipients will receive annual funding to support their research and strategic programmatic initiatives. The award is made possible by a $15 million gift to the University from the McKnight Foundation.

McKnight Presidential Fellows Award Program

The McKnight Presidential Fellows award program is targeted specifically to the most promising faculty granted tenure and promotion to associate professor. Selection criteria include identification by internal and external reviewers as leaders in their field; potential to build programs that will be in the top tier internationally, ability to advance University priorities; and growing national or international reputation as evidenced by record of scholarship, publications, external funding, invited presentation and symposia addresses, significant awards, or other evidence of recognition for research and scholarship. The award includes research-related financial support.

CSE Distinguished Professor

The College of Science and Engineering (CSE) Distinguished Professorship honors exceptional faculty for their efforts in and contributions to teaching and scholarly research and for their genuine commitment to CSE and its activities. CSE Distinguished Professors receive a one-time award of $15,000 to be used for professional development or research.

Endowed Chairs and Professorships

William Norris Land Grant Chair in Large-Scale Computing

** former faculty member

Qwest Land Grant Chair in Telecommunications

US West Chair in Telecommunications