Distinguished professors

Not currently accepting nominations

The rank of distinguished professor is reserved to designated senior members of the university faculty who have made extraordinary contributions.  Only faculty holding the highest distinction and the rank of full professor can be recommended.  Recommendations are only accepted from Deans when the President has solicited an active call for nominations. 

This honor is made in recognition of the highest academic achievements and accomplishments and acknowledges individuals who have clearly distinguished themselves as academic leadership in their chosen field.  Since 1959, WSU has honored 70 faculty with the rank of distinguished professor.

Once named to the rank of distinguished professor, faculty receive an annual monetary allocation, from the President’s discretionary funds to support their work.  This monetary award is an annual grant, with continuation and allocation amount of the award dependent upon budgetary circumstances in the University.

Active faculty holding the rank of distinguished professor

Antonia Abbey, Ph.D.
Department of Psychology, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences

Abhijit Biswas, Ph.D.
Department of Marketing, Mike Ilitch School of Business

Melba Boyd, Ph.D.
Department of African American Studies, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences

Miriam Greenberg, Ph.D.
Department of Biological Sciences, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences

Linda Hazlett, Ph.D.
Department of Ophthalmology Visual and Anatomical Sciences, School of Medicine

Joseph Jacobson, Ph.D.
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, School of Medicine

Sandra Jacobson, Ph.D.
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, School of Medicine

Bhanu Jena, Ph.D.
Department of Physiology, School of Medicine

Mark Lumley, Ph.D.
Department of Psychology, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences

Boris Mordukhovich, Ph.D.
Department of Mathematics, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences

Ljiljana Progovac, Ph.D.
Department of Psychology, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences

Alan Schenk, J.D.
Law School

Matthew Seeger, Ph.D.
Department of Communication, College of Fine, Performing and Communication Arts

Jack Sobel, M.D.
Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine

Sergei Voloshin, Ph.D.
Department of Physics, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences

Jonathan Weinberg, J.D.
Law School

M. Roy Wilson, M.D.
Department of Ophthalmology Visual and Anatomical Sciences, School of Medicine

Steven Winter, J.D.
Law School

Kezhong Zhang, Ph.D.
Center for Molecular Medicine and Genetics & Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology, and Immunology, School of Medicine