Professorships

Two ceremonial medals in blue presentation boxes sit on a black table beside a floral arrangement with yellow roses, blue flowers and white roses during the Annmarie Hawkins Professorship installation event.

Installation medals prepared for Professor Connie Sung, named the inaugural Annmarie Hawkins Research Professor in Disability Justice, made possible through a generous gift from Neil and Annmarie Hawkins.

Learn more about the Annmarie Hawkins Research Professorship in Disability Justice

Named professorships are a highly esteemed honor within universities and colleges. Named professorships allow schools to recruit, retain, and honor top faculty experts in the field. At Michigan Social Work, we partner with donors to establish named professorships. This opportunity allows donors to choose an area of expertise aligned with their philanthropic passions, and support the School’s expertise in that area. 

The stories below highlight the current and previous named professorships at the School of Social Work. For more information, please reach out to a member of the Development & Alumni Relations team at [email protected].

Endowed & Named Professorships

The Annmarie Hawkins Research Professorship in Disability Justice

The Annmarie Hawkins Research Professorship in Disability Justice is held by Professor Connie Sung. This distinguished position was established through a generous gift from Neil and Annmarie Hawkins to advance research that strengthens practice-based knowledge in supporting people with disabilities as they live, work, and thrive in their communities. The term-of-years professorship allows Professor Sung to focus on community-grounded projects that promote effective interventions and expand opportunities for individuals with disabilities.

The Harold R. Johnson Professorship in Social Work

The Harold R. Johnson Professorship in Social Work is held by Professor Trina Shanks and Professor Robert Taylor. This esteemed position honors the life and legacy of School of Social Work Dean Emeritus Harold R. Johnson (1926-2025). Johnson’s scholarship—spanning gerontology, community practice, juvenile justice, and public policy—shaped multiple fields over several decades.

Sol Drachler Chair

The Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit generously provided funding for the Sol Drachler Program Fund for Jewish Communal Leadership. Today, the funding has been used to support the work of the School’s Sol Drachler Chair in Social Work, held by Dr. Karla Goldman.

Marion Elizabeth Blue Endowed Chair in Children and Families

In 1997, Ann Lurie made a generous donation to the University of Michigan School of Social Work to establish the Marion Elizabeth Blue Endowed Chair in Children and Families named in memory of her mother and given in honor of her children. At academic institutions, professorships are a vital part of innovative research and teaching. Over the past 25+ years, the impact of this important gift has been tremendous in advancing the School’s efforts aimed at improving the lives of children and families.